Why Should I Become a Steward

I was fortunate to meet with Salem Forestry employees on Thursday, July 14th to talk about what it is like to be a Steward.  Currently Salem does not have a Steward and my goal was to share some of my experiances and encourage someone to step forward and offer there candicy to the group.  Stewards are elected by their peers.

Being a Steward is a giving, listening and helping position but you get something from it too.  You will develop your leadership, listening and communication skills.  You will improve your creativity, problem solving skills and self esteem.  You might even learn how to develop a good arguement and negotiate better.  Lower car prices anyone?

Sometimes I wonder why we need Stewards, nobody wakes up with a plan to be diciplined.  In my representative experiance, sometimes things just happen, at the wrong time.  Like during the emotional strains of a divorce and that accidental snap at a co-worker or supervisor. What about the comment to a Legislator that was mis-interpreted? Have you made a meaningful keystroke upon arrival at your work station?  There are lots of things, too helpful with the public or field staff, just not getting along with your supervisor or your car broke down, twice.  Being a Steward puts you in a position to help your co-workers when they need it most.

How do I become a Steward and is there training available? To become a Steward you need to be elected by your peers.  The election starts with a public announcement of the vote including time and place posted in a public space like the Union Bulletin Board at least 10 calendar prior to the meeting.  Prior to the election a announcement is made to see if there are other candidates and then the electioins is held.  Additional information is in the November 1, 2014 Forestry629 blog post.  And yes there is training available.   SEIU 503 regularly offers training and there is support from the Member Resource Center.

I hope this answers a few questions about what is, how and why to become a Steward and interests you enough to seek the position or ask additional questions, my phone number is listed in the margin.

Locals to Chapters, It's Resolution Time at General Council

General Counsel is the supreme governing body of our Union and generally it held every two years.  This year it runs from Wednesday, August 3rd to Saturday, August 6th and will be in Albany at the Linn County Fairgrounds.  It is where our budget is decided, policy is set, and Union operations affirmed or changed.

Our Local submitted a Resolution to increase the diversity of training opportunities for Stewards located outside of the I5 corridor.  Following consultation with your President that Resolution was incorporated into a similar Resolution that had been drafted by the Stewards Committee.  If passed out of Committee and receiving a favorable vote by the General Council it will be how our Union will operate.

There is another Resolution that would change how Forestry is referred to within our Union from Forestry Sub-local 629 to Forestry Chapter.  The thought is that there is more of allegiance   to Forestry Sub-local 629 than to SEIU Local 503,OPEU and that needs to be changed.  I would like to hear your thoughts on this as I am planning on representing your views at our General Council.  Below is the full wording of the Resolution which can also be found on the SEIU 503 website http://www.503gc2016.org

Service Employees International Union
Local 503,
Oregon Public Employees Union
Bylaws (BL #1)
1 Subject: Amend Bylaws Article IV – LOCALS; change “Locals” to “Chapters”
2 Submitted by: Board of Directors
3 Authored by: Committee for the Future members Catherine Stearns, Greg Ledbetter,
4 Latricia Straw
5
6 WHEREAS, the Committee for the Future was established by the 2014 General Council
7 to evaluate the threats and challenges we face and find ways for our union to innovate
8 and adapt; and
9
10 WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of members to maintain a unified identity in the face
11 of the challenges we face; and
12
13 WHEREAS, the Committee for the Future determined that referring to sub-components
14 of our Union as “Locals” with their own additional local number creates confusion for
15 members, employers and allies, distances members from SEIU Local 503, and
16 encourages a harmful “third-partying” within the Union; and
17
18 WHEREAS, there is already a long-standing practice of referring to locals as
19 “sublocals;” and
20
21 WHEREAS, the Committee for the Future recognizes the value and the strength of
22 organizing ourselves internally into distinct sub-components charged with building
23 membership, representing workers through bargaining and contract enforcement, and
24 engaging workers in issue campaigns; and
25
26 WHEREAS, there is confusion among different sets of members who often do not
27 realize they are in the same union as members who work for different employers and
28 others may think they are members of different unions (i.e. “I’m a member of Local 735”,
29 or “I’m a member of Local 99”), rather than being part of SEIU Local 503 with distinct
30 sub-components; and
31
32 WHEREAS, Bylaws, Article IV, defines Locals as sub-components of the Union; and
33
34 WHEREAS, naming sub-components of the Union after the name of their agency or
35 work group would maintain work group/bargaining unit identity while also creating a
36 more unified, statewide identity (i.e. “I’m a member of SEIU Local 503 – DMV
37 Workers” or “I’m a member SEIU Local 503 – Homecare Workers); now, therefore,
38
39 BE IT RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU: That the
40 word “Local” – as defined in Bylaws Article IV – shall be replaced by “Chapter,” and

41 any reference in the Bylaws to “Local” or “Locals” as defined by Bylaws Article IV shall
42 be replaced by ”Chapter” or “Chapters.”
43
44 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the General Council of SEIU Local 503, OPEU:
45 These Chapters shall determine a new name that is a sub-component of 503 and adheres
46 to the following structure: SEIU Local 503 – [bargaining unit, agency or workgroup)