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| IAM Shop Stewards kick off a new Western Territory training program for Districts 725 and 947 at five locations in California. |
The Western Territory kicked off a new shop steward training program for Districts 947 and 725. The training tour will include five seminars in Huntington Beach, Rancho Cucamonga, San Diego, Palmdale and Sunnyvale, CA.
Click here to view photos from the training.
The eight-hour training is conducted by Western Territory Grand Lodge Representatives and includes many important topics for stewards. Attendees learn about their roles as Stewards and the IAM’s structure. Attendees also go through mock grievance investigations, learn how to make informational requests, and receive training by attorneys on their legal rights and responsibilities.
“Our stewards are the backbone of our union,” said Western Territory General Vice President Gary Allen. “These Sisters and Brothers are the first line of defense and selflessly donate their time, energy and effort into providing a voice for their coworkers on the shop floor. Special thanks to the Western Territory Staff for their hard work in creating and implementing this great training seminar.”
Attendees are also given a small sample of the Western Territory’s Growth, Prosperity and Strength (GPS II) program that educates volunteers on the state of the labor movement, provides organizing training and an avenue for activists to get out into the community to participate in organizing activities such as house calling or hand-billing.
“An empowered steward makes for a strong union,” said District 725 President and Directing Business Representative Larry Olinger. “There is no greater investment we can make as an organization than to educate and equip our stewards.”
“How our members view their steward is, in many cases, how they view their union,” echoed District 947 President and Directing Business Representative of Sal Vasquez. “Having an educated and empowered shop steward contingency is vital to the success of the Union as a whole.”
