STEWARD TRAINING - SPFPA
Organizer

Organizing the unorganized is the charge of all unionist, whether they be an international officer, local union officer, or a steward. A major task of the steward is to organize the members in his/her department. Listed below are the things the steward should know to fulfill the role of organizer and suggestions as to how to do them:

What you do:                                
___________________________________________________________
 
ORGANIZE UNORGANIZED - GOAL 100%           ___________________________________________________________   
GREET NEW EMPLOYEES
___________________________________________________________

URGE ATTENDENCE AT MEETINGS                 
___________________________________________________________

DEVELOP MEMBERSHIP PARTICIPATION        ___________________________________________________________

COMBAT ANTI-UNION ACTIVITIES      
__________________________________________________________

MAKE DAILY CONTACT        
__________________________________________________________

KEEP A LIST ON NON-UNION MEMBERS          
__________________________________________________________

HELP IN THE COLLECTION OF DUES CARDS
__________________________________________________________
 
What you need to know:                        ___________________________________________________________   
REAL OBJECTIONS OF NON MEMBERS
___________________________________________________________

WHO'S WHO IN YOUR DEPARTMENT          
___________________________________________________________

DEMOCRATIC NATURE OF UNIONS  ___________________________________________________________

VARIOUS COMMITTEE NEEDS         
__________________________________________________________

WHO IS DISSATISFIED WITH THE UNION AND WHY   
__________________________________________________________

THE UNION MUST BE VISIBLE     
__________________________________________________________ 
    
NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR GOAL OF 100% ORGANIZED __________________________________________________________  
 
How you go about it:

1.  Respect the sincerity and opinions of every worker.
2.  Treat all alike regardless of face, sex color or political beliefs.
3.  Protect the interest of the non-union worker as diligently as you may defend the union member.
4.  Recognize that your union is a voluntary association of free men and women. Solid support can only be won through reason, persuasion and effective representation.
5.  Keep everlastingly at it.
6.  Be Sure To MEET THE NEW HIRE ON THE FIRST DAY!!!

Tips For Face-To-Face Contacts

Introduce yourself.

Make eye contact.

Contact at the right time. Do not contact an employee during normal work hours - catch them during break, lunch, or before or after work.

Be yourself. Smile, relax, use the kind of language you use every day.

Have some piece of information to give or leave with the worker to break the ice.

Be polite. If a worker refuses to talk to you, don't get into an argument, tell the person you'll catch them another time (do follow up).

Be frank. If you get a question that you can't answer, don't try to bluff. Tell the person you will try to get the answer.

Don't preach. You should talk about the issue to help lead the person to his or her own conclusion. This is a much more effective approach than a hard sell.

Listen. Listen to what the worker says - it will give you insight into their particular concerns and objections. Sometimes the best way to convince a person is just by listening and letting them know that the union cares what they think. 

STEWARD TRAINING HOME PAGE