"So, you want to be a union steward?"
“Man, you’re the union steward, too?” Peter Robinson, a new employee, couldn’t believe his ears. His own experience in the law department was that he—like so many of his other attorney colleagues—felt overwhelmed by his workload. “Don’t you have enough work already?”
“Everybody’s busy,” answered Jim Rice, a hard-working lawyer if ever there was one. Under his arm, Jim carried a battered clipboard containing union membership cards. “But I like working for the union, and it’s good for my career. You know, you learn a lot of leadership skills, you build relationships with all kinds of people, and you learn about our contract. I’ve even been taking an online class.”
Peter raised his eyebrows. “Really? The union trains you to be a steward?”
“Well,” laughed Jim, “You’ve got to get elected first! The training is really interesting, and any PEF member or steward can take it. It helps you understand all of the things that stewards do. And the information is always online, so even after I finish the class, I can always return to the course material when I need a refresher.”
“That sounds smart,” said Peter. “But don’t you worry about management seeing you as a kind of ‘trouble-maker’ when you work for the union?”
“Actually, I don’t worry about what management thinks. I’m more concerned that when workers don’t stand together—that’s a recipe for trouble. Our union protects us. And stewards just help all the members know they’re connected and represented.”
“Even me? I just started here.”
Jim smiled. “Even you,” he said, and handed Peter a membership card. “Sign here.”
