I'm writing a paper for a management class i'm taking.  I've never been in a union and havent done much research yet.  What exactly is the primary role of a union "steward?"  I know he's the in-house union rep, but is his function to review all the manager's plans and work assignments/schedules and give the union "OK" prior to being implemented?  It seems they severly limits the manager's freedom to manage, if this is so.

Have you seen or known of a company to experience a diminishment or severe hinderence in productivity due to the bureaucratic framework imposed by a union?  or Has a labor union brought to the workforce the assurance for equitable treatment by the company and subsequently raised morale and increased productivity?

All opinions welcomed, good or bad.

IN BEFORE THE LOCK

[;)]

Seriously, if this thread stays civil I'll eat my hat.

Boomer ?

You will starve.

More than anything else, the Shop Steward (I used to was one!) is a primary point of contact for union-related issues in the shop, both for management and labour.  

Is there s grievance with the management?  Start with the shop steward.  Does management have a complaint about a worker?  Go to the shop steward.  In many ways, teh shop steward is the civ version of a First Sergeant.

In terms of Union policy, the shop steward is also supposed to keep his eyes open for anything "hinky."  His job is to make sure that union policy is not violated by management.

However, the shop steward is not normally responsible for reviewing plans and schedules and the like for any sort of compliance, but he IS supposed to handle anything that can become a problem.

In case you are wondering, the shop steward is typically the man in the shop with the most experience in place.  The "second steward" would have as much as - if not more! - experience with the work and the union, but will not have been in the shop as long.

FFZ

EDIT - Jetlag, I have found that a good mustard will help your hat go down - I have had to eat mine on occasion.   Make sure to have plenty to drink on hand as well - hats are both bland AND dry!

FFZ

Both

My thoughts exactly. I was looking forward to seeing him get all out of wack tonight. Woulda made good entertainment[:D]

i am currently the job stewart for our trade on a small (basketball arena) construction job. basically you make sure that the current rules of the negotiated contract are followed by the contractor/employer AND the working hands,and you get to listen to both sides moan for example - the contractor may say the men are taking to long on breaks. the working men may complain that its 100 degrees outside and they want some ice in the water can. also you are the mediator in petty disputes and you try to help make things run smooth. thats pretty much it in a trade union,hope this helps with your paper in some fashion.

You forgot, the steward is the also the jackass that extorts money from the non-union workers.  Its not like we were scabs.  The unions guys would not want to work weekends or nights, and deer season.  So they hired us as casual workers.  We would fill in when the union guys went for naps. We got paid 2/3 of they got.  The steward wanted me to "donate" a $300 initiation fee to the teamsters for allowing me to work there.  I told him to fuck off.  He harassed me and the other workers for days until the shift boss nailed him.  Very juvenile shit, like throwing 2x4 under our Hi-los whe were moving freight. We still had to pay union dues. Got NO benefits or representation.  Obviously the tradition of the Mafia type tactics and racketeering is still strong.

Sounds like teamster tactics to me. Am I right??

Well, all you gung-ho union members should be real proud of this:
[url]http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/today/news_d3c4fb1917a0d04a00a8.html[/url]



This while McKinney, not only the author of a ridiculous statement that Bush let September 11 happen, but is accepting donations from groups under investigation for ties to the terrorist attacks:
[url]http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/0802/03mcmoney.html[/url]

He'll only get bent out of shape if Heilo, I, or the other "union bashers" get involved, but I'm staying out of this one, except to say that it's likely Unions have played a part in keeping workers safe and improving morale, thereby increasing productivity, as well as introducing unnecessary layers of beuracracy in some instances, but that's nothing management isn't capable of doing by themselves in both cases.  Unions can work both ways, and that is ultimately the effect of the people who run each local, and is not universal.  It just happens that most of my personal experience with unions is bad, but as was pointed out to me, my experience isn't everyone elses.

Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas...