Shop Stewards new athority

[skydrol]

IMHO, here is why the shop stewards have been tasked with this assignment.
1. most likely the local 514 pres. came up with the idea and he feels he can control them to do what he wants them to do.
2. It would be better politically to have the crew "pissed" at the shop steward than crew chief so there would be less "job actions"
3. Most crew chiefs act like management already and it would not fly with the crew.
4. Many of the "shop stewards" never worked a full day in their life so who is better to bust someones hump than a "slug". Everyone knows the drill the laziest person on the box expects the most when given authority.

 

[High Speed Steel]

I sure hope you guys are still collecting cards.

I hear they are looking for a few cards to donate to the National Archives Museum for recognition for the raiding association that failed. And as well, for the recogition of the infestation that is destined to ruin the American dream.

Collecting cards?

You betcha

 

[eolesen]

IMHO, here is why the shop stewards have been tasked with this assignment.
1. most likely the local 514 pres. came up with the idea and he feels he can control them to do what he wants them to do.
2. It would be better politically to have the crew "pissed" at the shop steward than crew chief so there would be less "job actions"
3. Most crew chiefs act like management already and it would not fly with the crew.
4. Many of the "shop stewards" never worked a full day in their life so who is better to bust someones hump than a "slug". Everyone knows the drill the laziest person on the box expects the most when given authority.

Sheesh, why not just start calling them kapo already?....

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Kapo (Arbeitslager))

Kapo was a term used for certain prisoners who worked inside the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The term originated most likely from the Italian capo (meaning: 'leader'), and referred to prisoners who have been recruited by their captors to police their fellow prisoners. They received more privileges than normal prisoners, towards whom they were often brutal. They were often convicts who were offered this work in exchange for a reduced sentence or parole.

This role has been described in many books, among them Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, treating it from a psychiatrist's standpoint.

From Oliver Lustig's Dictionary of the Camp:

Vicenzo and Luigi Pappalettera wrote in their book The Brutes Have the Floor [1]that, every time a new transport of detainees arrived at Mauthausen, Kapo August Adam picked out the professors, lawyers, priests and magistrates and cynically asked them: "Are you a lawyer? A professor? Good! Do you see this green triangle? This means I am a killer. I have five convictions on my record: one for manslaughter and four for robbery. Well, here I am in command. The world has turned upside down, did you get that? Do you need a Dolmetscher, an interpreter? Here it is!" And he was pointing to his bat, after which he striked. When he was satisfied, he formed a Scheisskompanie with those selected and sent them to clean the latrines. [2]

 

[Bob Owens]

Proamt, while I understand your quarry, I believe you have mis- construed the position of the shop steward. I have not heard what you heard. To take a step back for a moment, my understanding, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that the purpose, or one of them, of the shop steward is to be the middle man, if you will, between the union member and the company, to help protect them. I think everyone here knows that. With that being said the SS has not been given NEW authority to do anything. I believe the goal is for the SS to take a bigger "leadership" role NOT to be a hall monitor. So, in reality the SS has been given MORE authority to help the union member as opposed to NEW authority that would turn him into a "tattle-tale", as my kid would say.
On a side note....of the shop stewards you know....how many do you think would become what you are claiming is happening?? Just curious. I don't know too many.

Middle man? WRONG, the steward is supposed to be an advocate of the member and enforcer of the contract.

If the member is clearly in the wrong the steward should inform and educate the member but he should not be a "middle man". If a member is engaging in behavior that is clearly in violation of the contract the steward is within his rights to tell the member to stop such behavior but he should not inform management.

Thats the problem with the TWU, they dont know what the role of a union is.

 

[Ken MacTiernan]

Thats the problem with the TWU, they dont know what the role of a union is.


I believe they do know the meaning. It is simply in their best interest not to act like one.

 

[High Speed Steel]

Middle man? WRONG, the steward is supposed to be an advocate of the member and enforcer of the contract.

If the member is clearly in the wrong the steward should inform and educate the member but he should not be a "middle man". If a member is engaging in behavior that is clearly in violation of the contract the steward is within his rights to tell the member to stop such behavior but he should not inform management.

Thats the problem with the TWU, they dont know what the role of a union is.

This as well goes with the recognition of rule violations that a member could subject themselves to. With the steward serving as a middle man, he/she is warding off potential corrective action, or discipline that may effect the member. The steward in this respect is doing his job, and informing the member of such actions. Anytime you can defer from management involvement, the better off you are.

 

[TWU informer]

This is all too funny!

In my area it is usually the Shop Steward "out-of-work" area and/or sleeping. Same goes for the Stewards getting on the FLT's and/or PLT's (To get out of work).Most Stewards I know only have the job to get their union dues returned from this P.O.S. so-called union. They are NOT union men or good workers at all.

Hell for that matter, every elected Union Officer seems to think that getting elected means you never show up to your work area again to help carry the load. Surely there are not so many problems with the kiss ass union in place that so many elected officers need fail to show at their work areas to do something instead of kissing ass day in and day out.

How is it that a man who does not lead by example plans to tell everyone else to work harder?

Who is supposed to police the "middle man" Steward?

Let's take another pay and benefit cut first, then crack down on the offenders.

 

[Bob Owens]

This as well goes with the recognition of rule violations that a member could subject themselves to. With the steward serving as a middle man, he/she is warding off potential corrective action, or discipline that may effect the member. The steward in this respect is doing his job, and informing the member of such actions. Anytime you can defer from management involvement, the better off you are.

Fine, except the steward is not a "middle man". It must be stressed that he is an advocate of the membership and enforcer of the contract. The steward stands on the side of the contract and the membership, not in between the membership and the company. If a member is in violation of the contract, and the rules fall under the contract, the steward is within his rights to inform the member, but not management.

This idea of a union lableing itself as a "middle man" is a dangerous concept. It basically insinutes that the union is neutral and defines the union as more of an arbitrator than a leader or advocate of the worker. Workers dont need "Middle men". In fact most anti-union drives focus on labeling unions as "middle men" who do nothing to help the members. Workers need leadership, but clearly the TWU does not want to provide leadership, no, they want to be "middle men", and since they are taking money from both sides I guess that in the case of the TWU "Middle men" is certainly a more appropriate title than Union, or leader.

 

[TWU informer]

Bob in Tulsa, it is currently the membership against the Company and the Company Union. The Union is Management.

Everyone is out for themselves and there is not an ounce of unity to be found.

AA Management has succesfully used fear to bust the union in Tulsa. All there is a dues collection agency that is an advocate for management not the worker. Of course they offer free tickets to hockey, baseball, basketball, and other such items to keep the member thinking everything is O.K.

When it comes to Tulsa, throw out the window everthing you ever knew or thought you knew about "union" philosophy.

 

[High Speed Steel]

Fine, except the steward is not a "middle man". It must be stressed that he is an advocate of the membership and enforcer of the contract. The steward stands on the side of the contract and the membership, not in between the membership and the company. If a member is in violation of the contract, and the rules fall under the contract, the steward is within his rights to inform the member, but not management.

This idea of a union lableing itself as a "middle man" is a dangerous concept. It basically insinutes that the union is neutral and defines the union as more of an arbitrator than a leader or advocate of the worker. Workers dont need "Middle men". In fact most anti-union drives focus on labeling unions as "middle men" who do nothing to help the members. Workers need leadership, but clearly the TWU does not want to provide leadership, no, they want to be "middle men", and since they are taking money from both sides I guess that in the case of the TWU "Middle men" is certainly a more appropriate title than Union, or leader.

I can see your logic in the term "middle man" but the recognition of the capacity of the shop steward is that they are no less powerful than the supervisor. The supervisors are combatted on an equal playing field when it comes to issues regarding the contract, issues involving company policies, or what ever else is dreamed up. This is not in anyway dangerous to the union concept, only recognition of the authority of the shop steward.

 

[skydrol]

Sheesh, why not just start calling them kapo already?....

Sorry dude,
Do not know all that stuff if we were talking about NY i may agree since we are talking about t town then buddy bubba comes to mind a different sort with lower morals and no backbone if you can believe that. I had the dis-pleasure of working there for a time.


I think some folks just need to read your local by laws.
That is when it comes to the shop steward job. If i recall the oath for 514 is is to be loyal to the officers and the international. So how do some of you get off thinking the steward will help the member??????
If you try to help members only you will be run off....

 

[eolesen]

Do not know all that stuff if we were talking about NY i may agree since we are talking about t town then buddy bubba comes to mind a different sort with lower morals and no backbone if you can believe that..

Having worked at JFK and DFW, it was like dealing with two different unions. At one point during a meeting between AA and reps from 512, 513, and 501, I recall either John Conley or Joe Gordon having to take the 513 rep into the hall to set him straight about halfway into the meeting... If that's how things worked at the table with the company, I can only imagine how it works behind closed doors.

 

[scorpion]

I can see your logic in the term "middle man" but the recognition of the capacity of the shop steward is that they are no less powerful than the supervisor. The supervisors are combatted on an equal playing field when it comes to issues regarding the contract, issues involving company policies, or what ever else is dreamed up. This is not in anyway dangerous to the union concept, only recognition of the authority of the shop steward.

So is this something new? Did this blarney come out of a committee or is this the latest evolutionary twu union/management mindset that comes from being too long in the company bed.

 

[skydrol]

I can see your logic in the term "middle man" but the recognition of the capacity of the shop steward is that they are no less powerful than the supervisor. The supervisors are combatted on an equal playing field when it comes to issues regarding the contract, issues involving company policies, or what ever else is dreamed up. This is not in anyway dangerous to the union concept, only recognition of the authority of the shop steward.

The "shop steward" has the duity of making sure the contract is applied equally to everybody. If not then he supposidly has the means to file grievances. As far as being "no less powerful than the supervisor" i suggest you lay the crack pipe down and breathe fresh air. I cannot recall a "shop steward"having the ability to fire a person or do we have a new "letter of agreement"??????????

 

[Hackman]

I hear they are looking for a few cards to donate to the National Archives Museum for recognition for the raiding association that failed. And as well, for the recogition of the infestation that is destined to ruin the American dream.

Collecting cards?

You betcha

Does that also include a few twu cards from the twice failed drives at Continental???

I guess the "American dream" has failed at that airline also.

The CompAAny Union concession infestation was thwarted not once...but twice. Sweet. 2 time losers.

Better to be non-union than to have a sell-out dues collection agency.

You betcha....