Union steward, is it worth being one?

[hooligan shmulligan]

One of our union stewards just quite and I've been asked to be his replacement. People who have done it, is it worth while and rewarding or is it just a shit show?
Back story, we have 4 stewards and one head steward . Our new management has walked all over our head steward and our business agent, Instead of taking things to arbitration they've laid done on almost every issue and let the company make the rules. We have one good steward that tries to grieves thing but the business agent shuts him down.
I'm no fan of the union and I've spoken up against the union and the company because of this my fellow workers have nominated for the job. I just don't know if it'll be worth it. I take a lot of work bullshit home with me now don't know if I need more. I see how our one good steward tries but has no back up or support from the others.Our national won't even return calls now because so many people have called to complain. Do I really need this, is it worth it?

 

[bigun]

I don't know I never had to many interations with mine

 

[RusM]

Nope
At least where I work you don't get shit except having to deal with shit birds problems and you're on upper managements radar. Much better to just know the union contract better than anyone else and only use it if you need to.

 

[smurfblue40]

There seems to be a high turnover rate


I have been working in the HOA a few years now. Every so often, someone comes into the office and says, “Hi I’m _________ , your Union rep...” . I have never belonged to the union so I don’t pay much attention to them

 

[Santa]

Depends. How are your work environment and managers?

I'm on the other side of the table and am fairly reasonable, but when an employee is a shitbag, I call them on it and have good documentation. The union shop stewards know me and know I'm reasonable, so when it gets to that point they have been involved from the start(verbal, written warnings, write up etc.) and know who they are representing. 9/10 have sided with me. The one who didn't is gone cause he was a shitbag and I went after him too. I'm cleaning up YEARS of mess and will be at it a couple more years. YMMV

 

[hooligan shmulligan]

The problems really aren't representing fellow workers. Its the company and new management finding every little loop hole and caveat to turn our contract against us, Instead of the union stepping up and taking these to a judge and arbitration they just lay down. Old management was local, they were friends and neighbors. New management is all about the bottom line. I've worked in this industry with non union employers and haven't been treated this poorly. Its even more frustrating because we are paying dues and have a contract and shit isn't being up held.

 

[Gtrplyr78]

The problems really aren't representing fellow workers. Its the company and new management finding every little loop hole and caveat to turn our contract against us, Instead of the union stepping up and taking these to a judge and arbitration they just lay down. Old management was local, they were friends and neighbors. New management is all about the bottom line. I've worked in this industry with non union employers and haven't been treated this poorly. Its even more frustrating because we are paying dues and have a contract and shit isn't being up held.

Sounds like you answered your own question there.
I have been reading similar complaints about UPS union rolling over, and things getting worse then ever (browncafe).

 

[Mudslinger99]

Depends. How are your work environment and managers?

I'm on the other side of the table and am fairly reasonable, but when an employee is a shitbag, I call them on it and have good documentation. The union shop stewards know me and know I'm reasonable, so when it gets to that point they have been involved from the start(verbal, written warnings, write up etc.) and know who they are representing. 9/10 have sided with me. The one who didn't is gone cause he was a shitbag and I went after him too. I'm cleaning up YEARS of mess and will be at it a couple more years. YMMV

After all these years,this Post PROVES that you are really ARE a Snitching lil BITCH that thinks he's Above Everybody Else.

Confirmed.

What a Fucking Bitch.

Snitches wind up in Ditches.

 

[DWT]

After all these years,this Post PROVES that you are really ARE a Snitching lil BITCH that thinks he's Above Everybody Else.

Confirmed.

What a Fucking Bitch.

Snitches wind up in Ditches.

I got exactly the opposite out of his post and I do t see where there's was any snitching going on. Care to quote that part of his post for the rest of the class?


My last job was union and the steward is a lazy piece of shit and the business agent is a spineless **** too. So much for teamsters being a solid brotherhood when they side with the company and only protect the most worthless workers. Anyone that wasn't lock step inline would get railroaded to the door but the shitbags could wreck equipment and nothing would happen.

The money was really good though.

 

[Santa]

After all these years,this Post PROVES that you are really ARE a Snitching lil BITCH that thinks he's Above Everybody Else.

Confirmed.

What a Fucking Bitch.

Snitches wind up in Ditches.

LOL. And your post proves you are a know nothing moron. FYI I have actually brought both the employer and employees back to a legally binding contract that they have all agreed to. Not the willy nilly bullshit that was agreed to by previous management.

In short, my staff would make you look like a moron, and once they were done with you, I'd see you after the skelly hearing once your piece of shit ass takes it to arbitration. FYI I'm 3 and 0

****.

 

[Santa]

I got exactly the opposite out of his post and I do t see where there's was any snitching going on. Care to quote that part of his post for the rest of the class?


My last job was union and the steward is a lazy piece of shit and the business agent is a spineless **** too. So much for teamsters being a solid brotherhood when they side with the company and only protect the most worthless workers. Anyone that wasn't lock step inline would get railroaded to the door but the shitbags could wreck equipment and nothing would happen.

The money was really good though.

That's more the truth. I deal with 40 staff. 35 to 38 of them are golden. Normal people with normal people problems. Two of them are pieces of shit. One an addict who i've been working on for 3 years. Unfortunately addicts have some protections under the ADA in Ca. and he knows the game. Another is AA and has had me investigated 3 times now for unfounded accusations of racism. Yeah, he's just a piece of shit looking for a paycheck.

The other three just need reminders every once in a while that they are here to do a job, not wander around a make friends and bullshit.

Hey buttslinger99 how many people do you supervise???

 

[Mudslinger99]

LOL. And your post proves you are a know nothing moron. FYI I have actually brought both the employer and employees back to a legally binding contract that they have all agreed to. Not the willy nilly bullshit that was agreed to by previous management.

In short, my staff would make you look like a moron, and once they were done with you, I'd see you after the skelly hearing once your piece of shit ass takes it to arbitration. FYI I'm 3 and 0

****.

Too bad, you're trying to pat yourself on the back like the the One Armed Bandit that Kyle shot, good luck with that.

3 and 0.... Only further proves the fact that you are looking for Self Victory,that means jack shit.

Good luck Champ

 

[2big bronco]

If the employees are pro union and the union is easy to work with then sure. If not, do you want another headache.

 

[Santa]

Too bad, you're trying to pat yourself on the back like the the One Armed Bandit that Kyle shot, good luck with that.

3 and 0.... Only further proves the fact that you are looking for Self Victory,that means jack shit.

Good luck Champ

Are you trying to troll me?

Wrong on all accounts.

How many people do you supervise? You appear to be too stupid to realize there are shitty employees.

Never mind, you are the guy who comes in late, hungover smelling like booze and BO and want's to produce half the product of the rest of the crew fucking up morale for everyone but you.

 

[brd]

Not just no but fuck no.

I was a Steward for 3 years Teamsters local 986,and between the lying,deceitful,mental midget fucksticks I worked with and the lying fucksticks I worked for it was the worst working environment I have ever been in.

 

[Mudslinger99]

Are you trying to troll me?

Wrong on all accounts.

How many people do you supervise? You appear to be too stupid to realize there are shitty employees.

Never mind, you are the guy who comes in late, hungover smelling like booze and BO and want's to produce half the product of the rest of the crew fucking up morale for everyone but you.

OK, Champ,Fish On, because we haven't engaged in a while. Back when a Certain Woman and Her Husband and you went "Fishing"

Back on Topic of your question.

I've Owned My Own Buisness for close to 30 years. I've run 3 Buisness during that time,besides My own.,at the Same time. I Run Several Buisness as Project Manager,Including the Largest Hospital in this area.

​​​​​That's not to mention how many Side Projects in between that I've built from the ground up. No matter what it was. Residential and Commercial. Me personally,can build the whole Project if I had too. But I wised up and started hiring shit out

If I were to guess, I've never had to really Supervise over 100 people at Max at anytime.
​​​​​
​​​​​I Specialize in Custom Residential Custome Homes. I also,have branched off over the years to Commercial stuff just to change pace. That opens up a Big window of Experience.

I Always treat My People with Trust, Loyalty and Respect. You don't have to be a Snitch/Bitch to make things work out for Everybody. Sounds like to me,you don't understand how that works.

 

[Fishnbeer]

Our union is pretty weak. I cant tell you how many times the company has breached contract over the years and nothing really happened. The steward became a scapegoat for a lot of the shortcomings of the union. Our steward is a bit of a buffoon so he is the default punching bag for everything that happens. I would not want to be in his position.

 

[ev13wt]

I've Owned My Own Buisness for close to 30 years. I've run 3 Buisness during that time,besides My own.,at the Same time. I Run Several Buisness as Project Manager,Including the Largest Hospital in this area.

Your work environment is very probably highly toxic to the people you "employ", I sure understand that YOU as the OWNER hates things like this.
I think I should work for you JUST to create one and stick to your sorry ass.

And you can't even spell business right, bro... And don't capitalize all the damn words please, makes you look like a 5yo idiot.


That said: hell no unless the owner forces me to do it because some random fucksticks want to...

 

[Bacho]

Im also now on the other side.

In my POV the stewards are stuck fighting for causes I doubt they believe in. At the same time they catch it from the rest of the team because they are powerless on the larger issues that every team member has a gripe with.

 

[Toreadorranger]

One of our union stewards just quite and I've been asked to be his replacement. People who have done it, is it worth while and rewarding or is it just a shit show?
Back story, we have 4 stewards and one head steward . Our new management has walked all over our head steward and our business agent, Instead of taking things to arbitration they've laid done on almost every issue and let the company make the rules. We have one good steward that tries to grieves thing but the business agent shuts him down.
I'm no fan of the union and I've spoken up against the union and the company because of this my fellow workers have nominated for the job. I just don't know if it'll be worth it. I take a lot of work bullshit home with me now don't know if I need more. I see how our one good steward tries but has no back up or support from the others.Our national won't even return calls now because so many people have called to complain. Do I really need this, is it worth it?

Do you want to spend 90% of your time dealing with the 10% of the people who shouldn't have a job? If yes, then go for it.

 

[Kage]

... I take a lot of work bullshit home with me now don't know if I need more. .....

Other good points already mentioned, but I wanted to point out the above in Red. This is already a large can of "Nope", but adding in a dash of the above it turns into a "F-Nope!"

Sounds like you should be working on updating your resume and looking for a less toxic place to be in. $0.02

 

[Lawless]

I did 10 years as Chief Steward in a very toxic work environment, the employees (150) hated management and management hated them.

That being said the union had my (our) back and there were usually 10 to 15 grievances going per month with an arbitration maybe 6 or 7 times a year. I didn't represent shit birds I investigated every grievance and only brought forward those that were legit. This took up a lot of my free time, now add in the fucking idiots calling me at home in the middle of the night to cry about nothing well it was tiring to say the least.

Depends. How are your work environment and managers?

I'm on the other side of the table and am fairly reasonable, but when an employee is a shitbag, I call them on it and have good documentation. The union shop stewards know me and know I'm reasonable, so when it gets to that point they have been involved from the start(verbal, written warnings, write up etc.) and know who they are representing. 9/10 have sided with me. The one who didn't is gone cause he was a shitbag and I went after him too. I'm cleaning up YEARS of mess and will be at it a couple more years. YMMV

When on the rare occasion maybe twice in total I got to work with ( notice I said work with and not against ) things went very smoothly the place settled down and things were peaceful. We had a mutual respect and I am friends with those two still all these years later. I have often said that there should be a mandatory course for anyone who is management in a union shop taught by someone like yourself, I can see a major benefit to both the company and union in this.

The TLDR

I was a union steward in a toxic environment and wouldn't even consider doing it again. I am at the point now that I have absolutely no use for unions not just from that experience but from what I've seen going on behind closed doors as well.

 

[Bamajeeper]

Being a job steward is a fucking pain in the ass from what I have seen. There is no way in hell I would take that job.

 

[45acp]

No.

I did it for a year many years ago. I spent the majority of my time dealing with the 2% shitbirds. The other 98% were good workers and rarely needed anything. I took that shit home. Now when I leave work, I forget that place exists until I have to go back.

You spend the majority of your time with people you like the least. I told one of my problem guys he better be glad i wasn't the job god... because I'd fire his fucking ass and get him on at McDonald's... and if a french fry so much as hit the floor I'd fire his ass from there too. Thankfully, the meth jumped all over him a few years later and he quit to pursue a life of arm picking.

No.

 

[Truckedup]

I had a career as a IBEW construction electrician and foreman. Bigger jobs had a Stewart but he rarely had much to do. Guys who bitched a lot about the contractor got layed off. There were legitimate gripes sometimes of course , especially if safety related.

 

[gunracer1]

i could never do it, i quit our union a year or so ago. thank god i'm in a right to work state. just had my fill of them rewarding all the bad behavior and ignoring the 99%. i figure i have 5 more years before i hang it up. go riddance. i have been in 4 separate unions over the years. the UAW has for sure left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[TiTRD]

Fuck Stewards.

I, as a project manger, picked up a broom to clean after we walked an excavator across the road. As I'm sweeping the steward drove by. Ran me up and down saying I'm taking work away from his laborer. Told him to fuck off. His laborer was sitting in his car on "break"

 

[Projectjunkie]

I am doing it and found it to be a pain in the ass and rewarding, also as a means to show my abilities to management, and it was suggested I apply for a salary safety position, which I will once our strike resolves.
I was able to straighten a lot of shit out on both sides, the shit birds got one honest 100% Johnny Cochran defense, and then made it clear they better keep their nose clean, it wasn't happening again.
Going into big table negotiations I was able to get the site manager to add some positions, bringing in helpers, calling them apprentices would put regulatory burdens on the company, so it was our unspoken apprenticeship, added some lead men where needed, etc.
I got heavily involved in safety, and that would likely be my next career, maybe at this company, or some other industry.
The company wrote up 2 employees oin violating lotto, I beat it, easily, ib a lack of training, so my bosses chess move is to make me the lotto trainer, good play, so the policy is so fucked and vague, I basically re write it the way i want.
Before the training, I pull the vocal guys aside, and tell them i need them to stfu, if they bring up problems, we get more stupid rules that will get used against them later, they get it, I bring my notebook in my multiple trainings, that the big boss drops in on. When he speaks up and makes a loophole for somebody, I wrote his comment down as a loophole. Now we have a policy that is easy to apply, also easy to defend if a guy needs to do "testing and adjusting"
employees embrace lotto, it is a lifesaving program that needs to be used properly, and sometimes it's just for show, and the company stops trying to make an example. I can add training and revamping safety protocols to my resume, because I defended a couple guys working under a pickup tuck on a lift and a dumb fuck supervisor threw a bitch fit, thanks bro


If you want to spend your career under the radar, skip it, if you like to fight, take it, if you want to make changes, take it, if you want new opportunities, take it. Make noise, but handle yourself well and opportunities and job offers will arise.
At a big msha deal, all the top guys split after lunch, leaving the assistant federal labor secretary at a table by himself, I invited him to sit with us, and gave me his door prize raffle ticket, that turned out to be the winner, getting paid, on a work day. Or I could have been in the shop
Take the steward spot, but make it clear to leadership that eventually you may take a foreman job, be aggressive but ethical, and they'll likely offer a promotion pretty quick, if that's what you want

 

[welndmn]

It is a good step to learn how to manage people and looks good on your resume if you are wanting to move up into management.
Yes, it's a huge pain in the ass, but get a short term, do it for a year as a career building move, then move on.

 

[DNL]

You can do a lot of good for people who have legitimately been done wrong by admin., but you’ll have to wade through a ton of shit to do it.
It’s definitely a mixed bag trending to the negative.