The many roles of a steward
As an SEIU steward, your job involves much, much more than handling grievances. Grievances are important; they are often the most visible and dramatic aspect of the union’s presence.
But grievances should never be confused with your chief responsibility as a steward: to build a united, organized, and involved membership in your workplace.
As a leader in the workplace, you’ll have your hands full. That’s because SEIU stewards are…
- Organizers.
- Problem solvers.
- Educators and communicators.
- Worksite leaders.
Become a Steward and Lead Your Union
Union stewards are the backbone of our union. Stewards provide the front-line contract enforcement work to ensure that represented staff have a voice in their workplace, that the contract is respected, and that we are building power and justice in our daily work. From public employee worksites to Homecare and Personal Support Work to nursing homes, stewards are growing our union as an essential piece of what makes us strong. For our union to continue to win victories like great contracts, a new generation of stewards has to come forward and take these leadership positions.
To empower stewards, we have dozens of Contract Enforcement Trainings around the state all year. These trainings will give you important skills like how to write and file grievances and information requests, how to support a coworker during a Weingarten meeting, and how to organize around an issue. Each of these trainings are conducted with the support of our experts in the Member Resource Center (MRC) or our Contract Specialists, who are there to empower you to become a leader. #1u #seiu503 #unionstrong
Posted by SEIU Local 503 on Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Elections & Requirements of Stewards
Each local has their own process and procedure for electing stewards. You should contact a union leader in your worksite or your organizer to find out more about the process where you work.
If you are interested in becoming a steward, consider attending a steward training. Please contact your organizer for more information and to sign up for a training near you.
