Earlier this month, new CWA Local 1037 Stewards attended a two-day Shop Steward training to learn about workplace organizing, Weingarten Rights, and grievance and disciplinary appeals, among other important responsibilities. As the backbone of a Local Union, Shop Stewards are the key to building a strong, democratic labor movement. The Stewards learned the role they play being a point of contact between members, union staff and leadership, and how to address concerns or questions members have at the worksite.

“The training was very interactive, and there was plenty of engagement from the speakers and the stewards,” said Mac Biggers, a Shop Steward and Technology Service Specialist at the Commission for the Blind. “We did role play, and the staff made sure we had all the necessary resources to go back to our workplace and best support our members.”

At training’s end, all participants took the Shop Steward pledge, and received a certification to mark their completion of training to protect workers’ rights at their workplace.