Local 396 Hosts Well-Attended Stewards Training

Local 396, led by Secretary-Treasurer Ron Herrera, hosted a stewards seminar on August 22 in El Monte, California. The program, attended by more than 100 stewards, focused on contract enforcement and arbitration. Local 396, led by Secretary-Treasurer Ron Herrera, hosted a stewards seminar on August 22 in El Monte, California. The program, attended by more than 100 stewards, focused on contract enforcement and arbitration. Sally Payne, Associate Director of the Teamsters Training and Development Department, conducted the seminar with assistance in set up and instruction from Jay Phillips, President and LEARN Coordinator for Local 396. Herrera welcomed the stewards and thanked them for giving up their day off to attend the program. “I believe that having these education programs is more important today than ever before,” Herrera said. “We have to be informed about everything that is going on so that we can insure workers get their fare share.” David Castro, a business agent for the local, opened the session with a very special introduction about how we as Teamsters can inspire and mentor young people who are just starting out in the world of work. He told the story of how his father took him to pick grapes one summer in California to demonstrate the importance of getting an education. He hoped stewards would remember the story and tie it to their role as stewards, especially when working with new, young members. Participants spent time analyzing methods for enforcing their contracts and participated in a discussion on the elements of arbitration. “The information presented at this seminar is so valuable in representing the members,” said a steward, employed at UPS.  New stewards were also able to learn tips and techniques of contract enforcement by interacting with veteran stewards. The stewards who represent members in the solid waste industry were very engaged during the seminar. They had an especially interesting discussion on the steps of the grievance procedure and ways to keep the grievance moving forward.  “I leave these programs with such a sense of optimism when I see how dedicated Teamster officers, staff, stewards and members are to each other and the union,” Payne said.