Right to Union Representation
One of the most powerful roles that stewards fulfill in their union is to accompany other employees in the course of an interrogation. Employees are allowed to call their “union rep” to help them in a meeting with management. In the case of an interrogation, management must allow a union representative to be present and give you the time to contact one.
For example, sometimes a union member is called into an interrogation by management, because the management may suspect that the employee has done something improper. The steward can help the employee explain his or her circumstances; the steward can make the employee feel more confident; the steward can help the employee choose his/her words carefully.
A steward is not a lawyer. But a steward can be a witness to what an employee says and to what management says in a dispute.
