Looking Down the Barrel
What Do We Want From Our Shop Stewards?
Miracles . . . of course.
By SBN Columnist
L.T. Alsman
Like everyone else, I rely on our shop stewards to confront management when I feel I have a grievance. In short, a grievance is a situation that can't be resolved between the supervisor, who is wrong, and myself. So, I then go to my shop steward. I tell him what the problem is and expect him to be able to do what I could not do…which is to convince a manager that he was wrong…I was right…and he has to make amends or else!
If anyone thinks that it is really that simple, then you are not paying enough in union dues…because you are expecting way too much for your money. Our stewards here at Beta Steel face more obstacles while trying to perform their duties than any union official's job I have ever witnessed. Our stewards are shackled to the most restrictive set of guidelines in the business, and usually expected to straighten out our problems like they have free reign…and a magic wand.
There are many different time limits and restrictions that have to be observed by our stewards. They face opposition from management while trying to expedite a grievance. It is my opinion, that management is trained to oppose any stand that a grievant or steward may bring to the table.
I do not believe shop level management has permission to settle any grievance at Beta. So don't go to your shop steward with a complaint and expect any type of immediate remedy. Management defends themselves at their own convenience, and usually your steward's inconvenience. Step 2 of any grievance means it has to go to arbitration to be settled. If management chooses, they can eliminate your department Vice President and your First Vice President from the grievance procedure all together.
How many grievances has our local taken Beta Steel to arbitration in the last three years? Two. With that in mind, I guess Beta would be foolish not to deny the hundreds of grievances over the years at step one. Our toothless grievance procedure ties the hands of all of our stewards to the point, again in my opinion, management should be brought up on N.L.R.B. charges of bargaining in bad faith.
The bottom line here is…give your shop steward the benefit of you knowing they can't perform miracles. Hell, they can't even represent you the way they would like to in accordance to the contract. Just know…I'm sure they will do what they can. When we get an Executive Board in place that will perform their duties the way they were meant to be done, our stewards will be the best they can be…and not just the best they are allowed to be.
L.T. Alsman
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