Local 214 Begins Four-Part Steward Training Series

Nearly 50 stewards representing public sector workers in southeast Michigan attended a steward training sponsored by Local 214, the first of four scheduled trainings to be held in locations throughout Michigan in 2009. This first class was held in Livonia – a suburb just west of Detroit.

“Local 214 has a long history of representing pubic sector workers throughout Michigan,” said Joe Valenti, the local’s President. “And these trainings go a long way in providing the necessary tools for stewards to aggressively represent Teamsters public sector members.”

Shawn Ellis, the Central region Training Coordinator for the Teamsters Training and Development Department, facilitated the program. Among the topics covered were overall roles and responsibilities of Teamster stewards, proper grievance handling, and organizing information gathered during investigations.

“Local 214 in Michigan has placed a great deal of emphasis on steward training over the years, and it was great to be able to help with the local’s commitment to developing skill sets for these dedicated public sector stewards,” Ellis said.

The attendees were pleased with the program.

“The class was very informative, especially regarding the grievance and arbitration process,” said Brian Geldhof.

"The training segment that included a DVD on how to handle a grievance was especially helpful,” said Tina Felcyn. “That session answered a lot of questions.”