As frontline leaders at the worksite, SEIU stewards wear many hats. They are problem solvers, educators, and communicators. And, most importantly, they are organizers.
We will be updating this page with a number of resources to help stewards better represent their co-workers on the job. Check out some of the most important documents for worksite leaders.
Weingarten Rights
One of the most important rights that workers have as a member of a union is called Weingarten Rights. These rights state that if you are brought into a disciplinary or investigatory meeting or interview, you have the right to have a representative from the union present. Print out or write down this statement and remember it to protect your rights on the job:
If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative, officer, or steward be present at this meeting. Until my representative arrives, I choose not to participate in this discussion.
Grievance Forms
state workers:
Private Sector Human Services (except Guidewire):
Agency Specific Forms:
Higher Ed:
Other resources
An online handbook for stewards
Union contacts listed by agency
Printable Format for Local 509-related expenses
Steward Trainings
Steward trainings are available to all union members. All trainings are being held virtually at this time. To see our current schedule of trainings and register, please fill out the form below. You can also sign up by calling our Member Action Resource Center at 1-800-632-8079.
Note that any given training may be cancelled if we don’t have a sufficient number of participants signed up a week in advance. Should that happen, we will notify you.
Basic Steward Training
This is for new stewards or stewards who want a refresher. We cover the duties of a steward, different ways of addressing union problems, representing individual members in meetings and how to enforce our contract.
What’s in my Contract?
We review the key rights, benefits and working conditions in your union contract.
Organize Your Workplace:
How can we get your coworkers organized and ready to take Union action? It’s not easy, but it can be done! We’ll discuss how it connects to winning a better contract and day-to-day workplace issues.
Handling Grievances Effectively:
How to make effective arguments and good use of the grievance process. (This training is best for people who have already taken Introductory Steward Training or have experience in handling grievances).
Effective Labor/Management Meetings and Mid-term Bargaining:
When management makes changes that we don’t like, there are several ways we can deal with it. We’ll discuss when to demand mid-term bargaining, when to take issues to labor-management meetings and how to make both processes work for us.
Advanced Steward Training:
This for stewards with some experience. We’ll discuss some of the more complex issues including confusing terms in the contract, how to use the grievance procedure strategically, and choosing among various strategies to solve problems. And we’ll use these concepts to discuss the specific problems you have been addressing.
