Stewards' Guide Section 9

BE A GOOD LISTENER

More important – you must be the kind of person to whom workers feel able to come to with any sort of problem. They must feet they’ll always get a patient, understanding listener who’s willing to try to work out something with them. You may have to show workers that they’re in the wrong, or that they haven’t the ground for a grievance. But there are firm and yet tactful ways to explaining this so that you still keep their confidence.

You may discover that workers have personal problems, seemingly unrelated to the workplace, except that it prevents them from doing their job well. You should know the agencies in your community, which offer individual and family counseling services, medical care, etc., to which you can refer them for help in working out their problems.

You’re the sounding board for these matters. Transportation, food and other in plant difficulties should be referred to whichever union or labor-management committee handles such questions. Unsafe work practices, unhealthy working conditions and inadequate sanitary facilities come to your eye and ear first. Take them up with the supervisor.

Another aspect of the Collective Bargaining relationship that must be taken into account is the existence of "management rights". As fair and responsible union members it is your obligation to live up to the terms of the negotiated agreement. In matters of discipline, looking into unnecessary cases of absenteeism, slow down on the job or wildcat strikes, the shop steward can aid the union to find reasons and remedies for such situations. This can be done by simply trying to talk with the people involved.

Remember that once an understanding is arrived at, you and your members have an obligation to carry out your end of the bargain. A good rule to follow in dealing with management is to be sure all settlements are clearly understood by all parties.

GOOD RELATIONS WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR

One of the best ways to have an effective Collective Bargaining agreement is to establish good relations with supervisors. Supervisors don’t have to be the enemy, they’re working for a living as well and share the workplace with the union members. Supervisors are only representing management as the steward represents the union. A steward must remember that they cannot be effective without being responsible and business like, stick to the facts. Good relations with supervisors can greatly aid the welfare of the shop. Problems throughout the workplace can be worked out, personality problems affecting production or the introduction of new machinery and its results. Good relations with supervisors can greatly influence the nature of labor relations within the workplace.

Sometimes you may have to work without a contract. For example, when the union has newly won recognition but has not yet negotiated a contract. Or, the old contract may expire before the union has had time to negotiate a new one. At such time, when union protection is lacking, good relations with your supervisors are especially important.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES – TIPS ON RELATIONS WITH MANAGEMENT

Good grievance procedure is essential to all parties interested in sound labor relations. It is as important to management as to labor. The grievance machinery enables management with the help of the union to discover and correct the sore spots in working conditions and plant industrial relations before they are permitted to spread and cause trouble. It provides an effective communications system for bringing bad shop practices of lower supervisory help to management’s attention. The general grievance procedure might be covered by a clause like this:

"The Company recognizes and will deal with all of the accredited members of the committee and shop and departmental stewards in all matters relating to grievances,

interpretations of the agreement or in any other matters which affect or may affect the relationship between the Company and the Union."

To the individual worker, grievance procedure provides the means of enforcing the terms of the contract and with a democratic method of appeal against any one person’s arbitrary decision affecting wages or working conditions. It protects the democratic rights of the individual in industry in the same may that our judicial system protects your democratic rights in civil life.

HANDLING GRIEVANCES

Now we come to what makes up the bulk of your work – the handling of grievances.

Its probably a daily headache to you, but it’s also the heart of the union’s collective bargaining system with management. Your work has just begun when the negotiating committee has the new contract completed and signed.

As you know only to well, grievances arise almost every day on the job. Even in plants where the relationship between the employees and management is good, grievances may arise because of misunderstandings, incorrect application of policy by the supervisor or worker, faulty interpretation of the contract by either side, or some discriminatory act. Some so-called "grievances" occur because of personality conflicts a coupe of workers don’t get along or a worker finds the supervisor’s jokes annoying, the are not grievances technically, and you must learn to distinguish them from the true grievances.