Council
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Steward Implementation Committee Progress Report (Fall 1997) |
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| Stewards Corner Introduction Grievance: How to... HISTORY AGM Steward Resolution Joint Forum Report on Stewards Progress Report #1
Last updated: 02/26/99 |
On September 27 an Ad Hoc
Committee of 12 NASA members(1) and 3 resource(2) persons convened to plan the first steps toward implementation of a
Steward program on campus. We were able to answer a few questions and decide on some
guiding principles for implementation. Our first offer of a framework will be brought
before the membership at the November AGM. We would request that members respond to this
progress report with any concerns that we might have in the implementation of the Steward
program. HistoryIn June, 1994, a Steward Proposal Committee submitted a report to Reps' Council which was subsequently endorsed by Council. Some of this past committee's recommendations are included in this report. On June 8, 1997, a Joint Forum was held which was titled "Stewards for NASA". Representatives from AUPE, CAW and CUPE spoke at the event, and acted as resource persons for discussion on the merits of having Stewards on-site. The participants of this event unanimously resolved that we would bring to the general membership a proposal to incorporate Stewards into our organization. At the June 17, 1997 General Meeting, the membership approved the Steward Program in principle. The Bargaining Team began immediately to incorporate protection for Stewards into the new Collective Agreement. What is a Steward program?The goal of the Steward program is to provide all NASA members with on-site access to services dealing with member complaints, identifying Collective Agreement violations, filing grievances and providing a visible NASA presence throughout the workplace. The Steward program is a network of NASA member volunteers that serves as the intelligence, or the eyes and ears, of the union. It acts as a conduit between the union and its members, providing vitally needed public relations, and a safe, convenient, confidential place for members to seek guidance in their day-to-day work-related concerns. What is a Steward?A Steward is an agent of the union, whose purpose is to settle complaints and write formal grievances. Their source of authority is their knowledge of the Collective Agreement and the grievance process, and their freedom to act on your behalf during work hours. They are legal representatives of the union, and as such, will know the legal interpretations of our Collective Agreement. For the members, they will act as educators, advocates, problem solvers, and organizers. For the union, Stewards will be a source of information about the implementation of the Collective Agreement (for bargaining), and a source of future leadership. The mapping of clustersA cluster is a grouping of the workforce into a constituency which can appropriately be represented by one Steward. The purpose of mapping the support staff sector of campus into clusters is to keep accessibility and service to the membership at the top of the agenda. A subcommittee has been formed to study the characteristics of our membership so that the implementation Committee can strategically place Stewards where they are most visible, necessary and functional. The criteria for deciding on clusters are: (i) where the people are (ii) job classifications (iii) grievance concentrations (iv)cultural diversity (v) demographics such as gender and age, and (v) reasonable caseloads for the Stewards. What are the criteria for becoming a Steward?This committee proposes that Stewards be elected from pre-determined"clusters" of NASA members, including trust, part-time, and shift workers. Selection by election should be totally controlled by the union and its members. Elections will be held at a meeting of the cluster. Elections must be simple, quick, and fair, with no mail out ballots. We are still comparing this proposed method with that of other unions. The qualities that the union is looking for in its Stewards are first and foremost, ones that engender trust. The Steward should be assertive, objective, honest, credible, and diligent with his/her cases under review. Stewards must know and understand their legal duty to provide fair representation to those members for whom they are responsible. Stewards must be available and approachable. Until actually certified via a training program, the Steward is considered a"Steward Designate" and unable to represent the Union. The circumstances and mechanism for revoking Stewardship and a Steward appeal system must still be detailed. The length of term of office for Steward Committee and Deputy Chief must still be detailed. A Steward will be responsible for a predetermined "cluster" of employees, however, a Steward will have legal status anywhere on campus. "Shopping around" for a Steward will be discouraged. Integration into the existing NASA structureLABOUR RELATIONS OFFICER (LRO): Barbara Surdykowski, our new LRO, knows that Stewards are vital to the smooth functioning of her position on our staff. Our NASA office staff has suffered tremendous burdens in responding to the need for grievance counselling and she wants to see this office overload end. She has been an active member of other Steward programs, designing, teaching courses, and leading members through the hoops. It is important that Barb be given a "supervisory" role in the development of the Steward program, as she has a lot of experience and everything to gain by its success. REPS' COUNCIL: At the time of implementation, the Reps' Council, as a political advisory body to the Executive will remain intact. If responsibilities begin to overlap, its role and function may change. GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE: At the time of implementation, the Grievance Committee will stay intact, as the body which recommends the continuance of grievances, develops policy, and reports on trends in campus management. The Grievance Chair may be "Chief Steward". The Committee of Deputy Chiefs may at some point replace the Grievance Committee as it now exists. THE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE: It is tantamount that all members understand the role of Stewards in the grievance process. Reporting procedures are to be kept simple. The Steward will use a triplicate form provided by the office to report all Steward activity. All formal (written) grievances are the responsibility of the Steward, until the Grievance Committee determines that the Labour Relations Officer should take the case to arbitration. Stewards may wish to maintain contact with their cases to the end, which we see as a benefit to an employee who is going through a stressful time. Cases of wrongful dismissal and termination will be the responsibility of the Labour Relations Officer. There will be only one Steward per issue up to the point of arbitration, however, no issue should be considered an act in isolation. Consultation with another Steward, the Deputy Chief, the Labour Relations Officer, or the Chief Steward is recommended right up to STEP III (Arbitration). In any meeting with management a "buddy" system will be encouraged. One Steward, backing up the other by documenting the meeting and acting as a witness makes for a more level playing field. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: It is the Executive Committee that is ultimately responsible for any legal liability incurred because of the Steward Program, thus reporting to them should give an accurate picture of the overall functioning of the program. The Chief Steward(Grievance Chair) sits on the Executive. There is no change (ie increase)in the Executive's duties or composition due to the initiation of the Steward program. Stewards as described in the Collective Agreement1. Our stewards must maintain mobility throughout campus. 2. Stewards must be protected from harassment in order to fulfill their obligation to give fair representation to our members. 3. Stewards must be given the time and ability to investigate cases beyond meeting with management. 4. Stewards must not be limited in their stewardship by their job classification. What can Stewards expect from the program?1. Training A subcommittee is looking into the different training programs offered by unions such as AUPE and CUPE. These programs will be offered at little or no cost to NASA, and usually take the form of weekend workshops. Annual training and performance evaluation will be a requirement for any active Steward. 2. Skills The training, on-site guidance and Steward experience will instill life skills such as teaching, dispute resolution, mediation, critical analysis and research, empathy, self empowerment, and how to interact effectively with management. 3. Communiqués NASA will follow the example of successful steward programs in communications to the Stewards. The purpose of these communiqués will be to keep Stewards informed of the latest decisions in arbitration, Collective Agreement interpretations, letters of agreement, and to provide a link with the labour movement in Alberta, Canada and the world. These news briefs keep the Steward informed, involved and help to prevent errors in judgment in recommending courses of action to the employees they serve. 4. Networking A Steward meets and informs many people, creating a network of relationships built on trust and involvement. In the plan are regular meetings of Stewards, to be organized by Deputy Chiefs. These meetings are also a good way of networking among peers; the frequency of these meetings is yet to be determined. 5. Recognition Stewards are volunteers, who must be recognized for their contribution. Pins, public recognition, volunteer appreciation night, are all rewards that are considered by the Committee to be valuable investments. Promotion into more public or political arenas may also be rewarding. Respect from our peers may also bring the benefits of recognition for being a Steward. How much volunteer work is too much? too little? rewarding?This program is built on the commitment of volunteers. If this program is to thrive, our volunteers must be able to tell its Chief Steward some things. How many hours can be expected at what times of the year? What are our work cycles (e.g. September is a stressful period for department and library workers). How proactive do we want to be? For example, do Stewards want to be responsible for organizing, orientating new members? Do volunteers find the issues relevant to their livelihood, and are they experiencing personal growth through their volunteer work? The program must be kept as flexible as possible in order to respond to member and volunteer needs. We are not anxious to commit ourselves to a structure whose procedures are entrenched in the Bylaws or Collective Agreement, making it difficult to adjust to rapidly changing conditions in the workplace. However, written policy and simple procedures will be formalized, thoroughly learned, and quickly amended if necessary. It is not decided yet how amendments will be processed. TO DO
NOTES: 1. Lynda Achtem, George Caldararu, Lynn Chandler, Art Clarke, Joy Correia,Mary Daley, Peter Matilainen, Tony Paget, Kevan Warner, Effie Woloshyn, Marie Dube,Carol Gervais 2. Judi Armstrong, CUPE; Leanne Chahley, Legal advisor to NASA; Barb Surdykowski, LRO, NASA.
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