Shop Stewards
Terms of Reference
Purpose
To increase the knowledge, skill and proficiency of the Shop Stewards and the General Membership of CSU 52.
Objectives
To assist the Shop Stewards and Mailout Representatives of CSU 52 to perform the duties outlined in Bylaw Article 3.03 (a), and Bylaw Article 3.04, Shop Steward Assembly, of the Constitution & Bylaws.
Responsibilities
1.
The Assembly meeting minutes shall be submitted to the CSU 52 office on a monthly basis or as frequently as the meetings occur.
2.
The Assembly budget shall be presented to the Union Tresurer by the 1st of November. For additional Assembly funding, requests must be submitted to the Executive Board for approval.
3. The Chairperson shall submit a report to the Executve Board on a monthly basis, or as frequently as the meetings occur.
4.
Changes to the Terms of Reference shall be submitted to the Policy & Procedure Committee for review. The Policy & Procedure Committee shall forward the Terms of Reference to the Executive Board for approval.
Members & Terms of Office
1. The Assembly shall consist of all elected Shop Stewards of CSU 52.
2. Term - Two (2) years.
3. The Assembly shall elect two (2) members of which the Chief Shop Steward is chosen in the odd years and the Recording Secretary is chosen in the even years at the November Shop Steward meeting.
4. The Chairperson shall be the Chief Shop Steward.
Meetings
Regular meetings for all elected Shop Stewards shall be called monthly, on the third working Tuesday and additional meetings may be called by the Chief Shop Steward as required.
General / Miscelleaneous Information
CSU 52 Shop Stewards are expected to attend the Union's General and Shop Steward meetings and to keep their members informed as to Union functions and activities. They act as a liaison between the Union and the members to ensure information is disseminated in a timely manner. In return for providing these services, Shop Stewards are given opportunities for training and also receive an honorarium based on attendance at Union meetings. Shop Stewards are an intergral part of the success of the Union.
Eligibility
Anyone is eligible to become a Shop Steward as long as they are a CSU 52 member. It does not matter what level they work at. They can work part-time or full-time. The staff member must have passed the probation period. It does not matter how little experience one may have, it is a position where you learn on the job.
Shop Steward or Mailout Representative in the Same Location
There can only be either a Shop Steward or a Mailout Representative in one work location. A Shop Steward has priority over a Mailout Representative.
Alternative Shop Steward or Mailout Representative
Current Shop Stewards and Mailout Representatives should always ask for an alternate contact person to distribute Union information if they are on vacation or away from their work area for longer than a few days. The alternate does not have to assume the full roles of the Shop Steward.
Election Procedures
Shop Stewards are elected in November of odd years, which means the next election will be in 2009. A nomination sheet is sent out in October to the current Shop Steward or Mailout Representative and has to be posted. If there is more than one nominee, there has to be an election. The position starts on December 1st.
Positions Left Vacant
If a Shop Steward or Mailout Representative resigns from the department/work location, transfers to another department, or resigns from their Union position, then anyone who is interested can apply for that position. If there are a few CSU 52 members interested there will be a vote or a staff member can temporarily take over the position until the next official election. There should always be a Shop Steward or Mailout Representative in every area of the Contractual Unit.
Honorariums
The amount a Shop Steward will receive is based on how many meetings they attend.
A Shop Steward is paid an honorarium of $24.00 per month. An additional $35.00 honorarium is paid for each Shop Steward Meeting they attend, however, if a Shop Steward should attend 6 out of 10 General Membership meetings, they will receive $50.00 instead of $35.00 for each Shop Steward Meeting they attend.
For Mailout Representatives, an honorarium of $10.00 per month is paid at the end of each year.