Melinda was elected Recording Secretary for Branch 36 in 2022. Melinda began her Membership with Branch 36 the same year she began her Postal career in 2003. Since the beginning, Melinda has always looked out for all carriers, and pushed herself to learn and do more within Branch 36. Melinda was elected to Shop Steward by her peers in 2015. Not long after, she became an On-the -job instructor and food drive coordinator. 2017 was a busy year for Melinda, she was selected to become a Customer Connect Coordinator and Carrier Academy Facilitator. Her abilities really shined when she was elected as the Director of City Delivery in 2017. In 2018, Melinda trained and became a Formal A Designee for Branch 36. Political Liaison became her next steppingstone in 2021 and her skills were noticed by National. She was tasked with covering the National Administrative Assistant position and handled that job with the same tenacity as her other post. In 2022, Melinda was elected to serve her fellow carriers in the position of Recording Secretary for Branch 36, where she continues to go above and beyond.

Are We Lost?

The grievance-arbitration procedure starts with your steward. Many new carriers, senior carriers and some stewards don’t know or tend to forget this process. Article 17.1 (Representation) of the National agreement states: Stewards may be designate for the purpose of investigating, presenting and adjusting grievances. As stewards we have a responsibility to our carriers whether or not we like or get along with them. It seems as though this fundamental responsibility is lost on some.
As time goes on, some stewards tend to forget or choose to ignore the reason why they CHOSE to be a steward. You chose the position, I thought, to fight the fight because you wanted to uphold the contract and to make sure the carriers in your station are protected and their rights are not being violated. You also chose the position to make them aware and keep them aware of all thing’s union. Such as informing them of a membership meeting, relaying important information, reminding carriers of the importance of attending meetings, keeping them apprised of local activities, as well as informing them of things happening on the National front. After all, politics plays a very important role in our job. If you haven’t heard or somehow have forgotten, we can lose everything with a stroke of a pen. These are just a few things a steward should keep carriers aware of, other than simply filing grievances for various reasons. However, I fear that this knowledge is slipping away.
We have stewards that refuse to come to meetings. When asked why, some give reasons such as not wanting to switch their rest day, or I cannot get there on time, or simply no reason at all. They just shrug their shoulders and say, “Ahh well you know.” No, I do not know because when I was a steward, I made most, if not all of the meetings, whether I was late or did not have a babysitter because it was important to do so. Important for my job, the carriers I represent and the future of this union. Not just for a reimbursement check! We provide training seminars to help us grow and those who need to attend CHOOSE not to attend, but have no problem to call or come to the office to ask for a reimbursement check. Is that what it means to be a steward? To attend important meetings for YOUR benefit only or is it to attend for the benefit of those that you represent?
We have a responsibility to the carriers- to represent, guide, inform and assist whenever and wherever possible. That responsibility includes: returning calls/emails and copies of your cases to the branch when they have progressed to the B-team or just by keeping the grievant informed. These requirements have also gotten lost! Granted there are some stewards who are out on long-term leave, but then there are those who are in attendance at the postal service, but absent from the union and or the work floor. We have to make sure we represent those carriers who don’t have enough knowledge to represent themselves. We should not take advantage of their trust by being in cahoots with management and talking about carriers, or helping management build a case against a carrier, or asking/letting carriers to sign something without fully explaining what they are signing, or for failing to fully develop a case.
We are here to educate carriers. To make sure they have as much information as possible to hold their own until backup arrives. You are the backup! We are your backup. Carriers and stewards tend to forget that we are one body when it comes to the fight. Any carrier can be a steward, just make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons! We can agree to disagree, but let’s not forget our core responsibility, the members. As a member who decided to become a shop steward you took on a great responsibility and it can be overwhelming at times. When it becomes too much, remember you have backup. All you have to do is pick up the phone.