Nobody's Perfect
We all make mistakes. We're human. Shop stewards even make mistakes. Some of these mistakes are particularly serious. Here is a list of 20 mistakes that shop stewards make. Read them over. Nod your heads. But don't make them again!

• Always wait until a workers comes to you with a grievance.
• Walk around the worksite with a chip on your shoulder.
• Pretend to know all the answers to all problems.
• Give out false information or spread rumors.
• Fail to keep members posted on disposition of grievances.
• Violate company rules.
• Violate the contract.
• Always try to talk members out of filing grievances.
• Present a grievance that isn't one.
• Forget to investigate a grievance thoroughly before handling.
• Blow up when dealing with the supervisor or workers.
• Use profane language to intimidate the boss.
• Argue a grievance by taking personal issue with the supervisor and directing personal remarks.
• Miss membership meetings.
• Bawl out a member in front of co-workers or in front of a supervisor.
• Stall when workers call you.
• Keep all the information to yourself.
• Permit workers to push you around.
• Enhance the supervisor's prestige by permitting the supervisor to use you as means of doing his/her dirty work, such as enforcing company rules or calling the workers down for minor abuse of certain privileges negotiated by the union.
• Manage the workers.

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