What do NASA Reps Do?

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Last updated: 03/15/99

• Representing The Members

• Representing NASA

• Reps and the Contract

• Communications is the Key

• Council's Educational Role

Representing The Members

NASA Reps are the primary day-to-day contact of NASA with members on the worksite. In fact, for members who are unable (or unwilling) to attend the General Meetings, the Rep may be their only personal contact with NASA. In an organization as diverse and widely distributed over a worksite, having union representatives is an essential element in developing and maintaining an informed and involved membership.

One of the most important political roles for a Rep in NASA is to represent the opinions and interests of fellow members from their Department at Reps Council meetings. The Council is actually an assembly of spokespersons from across campus. It has a number of responsibilities to guide the Association:

• Council is an advisory body for the Executive (who run NASA on a week-to-week basis)
• Council develops policies on a range of issues (most recently on improving our leadership electoral procedures)
• Council appoints members to various NASA committees, Joint management-union bodies, and NASA representatives in external organizations
• Council also fills vacancies on the Executive between general elections

Individual Reps also serve as a communication link between individual members -- who have put them on Council -- and the rest of the organization. Through daily contact with members on the worksite and attendance at the monthly meetings of Council, Reps keep the union informed of members' issues and problems:

• Reps bring potential grievances to the attention of NASA
• Reps introduce suggestions for new contract items and improvements in benefit plans
• Reps report on workplace developments from their area or even university "politics"

In this way, the Reps provide general membership input to the office staff and Executive throughout the year.

Representing NASA

At the same time, Reps have an equally important job to keep the membership informed of what NASA is doing and bring those activities and positions into the workplace. You really could say a Reps job is to sell the idea of NASA to members who often don't recognize the importance of having an employees' organization. Often, it is only when members are having problems with the employer that they realize how important it is to have someone on their side to provide expertise and, where necessary, the weight of the Association in defence of their interests.

• Reps encourage other members to get out and attend General Meetings and take an active interest in the union
• Reps who attend workshops and presentations at Council can report on many of the issues that arise in NASA
• Reps are often familiar with contract issues and can help fellow members understand them

Council serves as a training ground for more informed and active members. This benefits NASA as more of us become experienced in the business of how we run the Association. Some of you may even decide to run for the Executive. New faces with new ideas can always improve the quality, depth and diversity of our leadership.

Reps and the Contract

Although the Rep does not have any official function in the area of contract interpretation or violation, they play an important role in NASA as a liaison between the office staff and Executive and the rank-and-file members. Someone may have questions on how the contract applies to them, whether they might have a valid grievance, or what the benefit plan covers?

Every Rep should know the basics of the contract and how it might affect the members they represent. A Rep has to be ready to answer those questions or at least tell the member where they can get the answer. Usually these can be found at the NASA office from the General Manager or Labour Relations Officer. But remember that a Rep can always plays an important part as the first link in bringing possible grievances, based on the contract, to the attention of NASA.

Communications is the Key

The success of any organization is it's ability to communicate with its members. NASA has not always been successful in achieving this goal. Reps can and should be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem. How can a a Rep be a better communicator?

Keeping in touch with the membership is not that difficult for most Reps because they usually work alongside them in the office or meet them regularly during the day. If there is a problem individual members will often come and find their Rep if they believe he/she can help them. But there are other ways that the Rep can initiate improved communication with members:

• Reps receive regular information by mail which they could relay to NASA members in their Department
• Reps can notify members about agenda items being discussed at upcoming Council meetings
• Reps may hold meetings with their Department members after work or during part of the lunch hour to discuss NASA matters

Council's Educational Role

One of Council's roles, as outlined in the NASA Bylaws, is to promote the education and general welfare of the membership. How can we do that effectively? Recently, Council has brought guest speakers to our meetings. In the past, there has also been an Education Committee, as well as a Council magazine and an Editor was elected to be responsible for publications and served on the Executive, along with the Chair of Council, in an ex-officio, non-voting capacity.

However, some of that has also fallen into disuse over the years. Over the next few months, Council will be discussing it's broader role in NASA. If you are interested in this discussion please get in touch with us.