Anchorage Steward Committee Bylaws
ASEA AFSCME LOCAL 52 ANCHORAGE CHAPTER STEWARD COMMITTEE BYLAWS Article I Name and Purpose
Section 1: Name The stewards of the Anchorage Chapter of the Alaska State Employees Association AFSCME AFL-CIO shall be organized in accordance with the Alaska Statewide Steward Policy & Procedures (SSPP) as the ANCHORAGE STEWARD COMMITTEE (ASC). Section 2: Purpose The purpose of the Anchorage Steward Committee is to aid stewards in carrying out their duties according to SSPP 9.01000: A. To adhere to the principles set forth in the ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Constitution and AFSCME Constitution, especially regarding the rights of all members to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. B. To ensure that stewards perform their duties in a responsible, knowledgeable, and effective manner. C. To ensure that stewards fulfill their “duty of fair representation” to each and every member, without exception.
Article II Membership
Section 1: Membership All stewards within the jurisdiction of the Anchorage Chapter in good standing shall be members of this committee. Section 2: Chief Steward A. The Anchorage Steward Committee shall have a Chief Steward elected by the stewards in good standing of the committee. The Chief Steward shall be elected by the Anchorage Chapter following the election of stewards under Article VI. B. In the event the office of Chief Steward is vacant the Anchorage Chapter president shall appoint a Chief Steward, who shall serve until the next election. C. The Chief Steward’s term of office shall run concurrently with her/his term as an elected steward. D. In the event a chapter has only one steward that steward shall be the Chief Steward.
Article III Quorum and Meetings
Section 1: Quorum The quorum for the meetings of the Anchorage Steward Committee shall be twelve (12).
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Anchorage Steward Committee Bylaws Section 2: Meetings The Anchorage Steward Committee shall meet at least once every month except for the months of June, July, and August. The meetings will be held on the third (3rd) Wednesday of the month. The Chief Steward or the Anchorage Chapter President may call special meetings.
Article IV – Duties of Steward
The duties and responsibilities of a steward shall be as prescribed in the most current ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 and AFSCME International Steward Handbook. Section 1: Attendance A. Stewards shall attend at least 60% of the scheduled Anchorage Steward Committee meetings. Stewards are responsible for notifying the Chief Steward of any absences. B. ASC stewards shall also attend and participate in at least 60% of the educational programs given to develop knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill the duties of a steward. Section 2: Duties A. Investigation and resolution of disputes arising between the State of Alaska as employer and any employee or group of employees in the Anchorage Chapter of ASEA. Use of a recording device is recommended. B. Orientation of new employees to the union including encouraging employees to become members of the union. C. Serve as liaison for information between ASEA and GGU members at the work sites. D. Help with strike preparation activities and strike line duties as designated by the Chief Steward. E. When requested to represent a member by ASEA staff, the Chief Steward or a member steward must accept the assignment unless one of the following situations exist: 1. The member is in the same work place as the steward and will interact with the management staff; 2. The steward will be away from the worksite to such a degree as to preclude representing the member’s situation; 3. The steward will be on annual/personal/sick leave to such a degree as to preclude representing the member’s situation or 4. Other reason that will preclude the steward from adequately representing the member as pre-approved by the Chief Steward. Section 3: Steward Training A. All stewards will receive steward training in accordance with SSPP 9.03.000.
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Anchorage Steward Committee Bylaws B. All stewards will receive ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 or AFSCME steward training. It is the responsibility of ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 professional staff and AFSCME staff to provide this training at least annually. C. If a steward has not received training at the time of his/her election, the steward shall take the training within six (6) months after becoming a steward. D. New stewards must complete the mandatory steward training within six (6) months of his/her election to remain as a steward. Section 4: Duties of the Chief Steward A. Preside at all meetings of the Anchorage Steward Committee. B. Appoint ad hoc steward committees as needed. C. Act as liaison between the Anchorage Steward Committee and the Anchorage Chapter Executive Board.
Article V Guidelines for Stewards
Guidelines for steward activities shall comply with SSPP 9.05.000. Section 1: Guidelines A. When working on members’ cases, it is strongly recommended that stewards work in pairs. This allows a primary and secondary steward to function on each case and provides a “witness” at key meetings. In addition, the alternate is available whenever the primary steward is not available. B. It is the duty of the steward to develop and maintain a detailed case file of written records and notes to effectively represent the member. Stewards should take extensive notes during any meeting with management. C. The steward’s duty and role is to be an advocate for the member and not to be concerned with their personal relationship with management. The steward’s primary job is to protect and defend the rights of every member. D. If a member is in error, it is appropriate for the steward to provide counseling and to inform the member of the potential repercussions. This counseling must always be conducted in private and not communicated to management in any way.
Article VI Election of Steward
Section 1: Time and Nominations A. Steward elections shall be held the first part of February in every odd year.
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Anchorage Steward Committee Bylaws B. Notice will be posted on the first of December for nominations to be submitted from 8 AM on December 15th to close of steward meeting in January. C. Nominations will be in writing and consist of: name, work site, work phone number, and home number. Floor nominations will be accepted at the January Steward meeting. D. Nominations will be accepted for members in good standing only. Section 2: Eligibility A. To be eligible to become a steward, a member must be in good standing with ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 for at least one year. B. The Business Manager will provide the State Department of Administration with a list of stewards. Section 3: Appointments Steward election may be done by work site. In the event not enough candidates apply for election as a steward, the Chief Steward can forgo the election and appoint a steward after verifying members’ status with union staff. Section 4: Distribution The Anchorage Chapter Executive Board, in consultation with the Chief Steward, during its March meeting shall, if necessary, determine the distribution of stewards among the work sites with in the jurisdiction of the chapter. A. The general policy of the union is that there should be one steward per shift per thirty (30) members at each job site. Job sites with less than 30 members shall have a steward. B. The Local Chapter Executive Board shall develop a list of job sites. 1. The list of job sites must be approved by the Statewide Chief Steward Committee. 2. Each job site should be represented by a steward who works in the job site and is elected by a majority of those members voting in the job site in accordance with SSPP 9.04.000. Section 5: Terms and Vacancies A. The steward’s term of office shall be two years. B. In the event a steward position becomes vacant, the Chief Steward may appoint a steward to complete the term of office in accordance with SSPP 9.06.000.C.3. Section 6: Complaints A. The chairperson of the Statewide Steward Review Panel will select two (2) or more panel members to investigate written complaints received. The Panel shall request a written response to the complaint by the steward involved.
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