Public/Private Sector Shop Steward Trainings Draw Nearly 100 Attendees

IBEW 1245 represents workers employed at more than 60 public- and private-sector employers.  Each year, the union holds a series of shop steward trainings, and this year Local 1245 held two trainings just for stewards in the public and private sectors.  While most came from the public sector, there were several attendees from private-sector employers as well.

This year’s trainings took place in early September in Reno and Vacaville, with nearly 100 shop stewards attending the day-long sessions. IBEW 1245 Business Manager Tom Dalzell opened both training events by making it clear that IBEW 1245’s past and continued success relies on the highly trained and highly professional shop stewards, calling them “the foundation of the union, the most important link in the chain.”

“Even though it is a frustrating and difficult job, they make a difference every day in improving the working lives of our members,” Dalzell said of the union’s stewards. “They do it for the simple reason that they want to make things better.  They are the biggest reason that Local 1245 is the great and successful organization that it is.”

The trainings featured a number of tutorials, including Weingarten Rights, Shop Steward Rights, Understanding and Handling Grievances, Just Cause, Fair Representation and Past Practice, led by IBEW 1245 Business Reps Sheila Lawton, Al Fortier, Sam Glero, Pat Waite, Randy Osborn, JV Macor and Charley Souders. Each training session concluded with an open discussion and opportunity for the stewards to get answers to their most pressing questions.

“I think the trainings went really well,” said Assistant Business Manager Ray Thomas, who helped to coordinate the two training sessions. “I got lots of positive feedback. The stewards really enjoyed the trainings from the business reps. They see their own reps taking part, and they really seem to appreciate that.”