The job of a steward is the most challenging, most rewarding and most important job in our union. That’s because they are on the front lines of our fight to develop a strong, active union in the workplace—one that can make a real difference in the lives of our members.

Stewards have an enormous impact on our members’ faith and belief in the union. The steward is the one union person our members see every day when they go to work. In the eyes of most ASEA members, stewards are the union. Because this is so, the ASEA steward, more than any other union leader or activist, has the opportunity to energize and mobilize the source of our union’s strength: the membership.

The steward takes on a number of roles in the union: They provide leadership in the workplace; organize co-workers to take collective action; communicate with workers, union leaders and management; and represent members. By performing these steward tasks, they earn the confidence and respect of their co-workers. This allows them to carry out their primary responsibility: to reach out to the members and encourage them to become active, involved participants in their union.

This is vitally important because of a fundamental truth about our union: Member involvement in union activities and union actions creates union power in the workplace. A strong union is better able to protect workers’ rights and fight for improvements in wages, hours, working conditions and quality of life on the job.