# Union representative > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Union_representative > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Union_representative.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_representative > Source revision: 1300698486 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Official of a trade union}} thumb|upright|300px|A British shop steward discusses an issue with a foreman during WWII A '''union representative''', '''union steward''',[https://www.amazon.com/Union-Stewards-Complete-Guide-Updated/dp/098398719X The Union Steward's Complete Guide], David Prosten, Union Communication Services, Inc. or '''shop steward''' is an employee of an organization or company who represents and defends the interests of their fellow employees as a [trades/labour union](/source/trades_union) member and official. Rank-and-file members of the union hold this position voluntarily (through [democratic](/source/democracy) [election](/source/election) by fellow workers or sometimes by appointment of a higher union body) while maintaining their role as an [employee](/source/employee) of the firm. As a result, the union steward becomes a significant link and conduit of information between the union leadership and rank-and-file workers. Above the steward level, a bargaining unit chair is typically elected to coordinate union activities across the unit, lead formal [negotiations](/source/Negotiation), and represent the unit in dealings with management and the union’s executive leadership. == Duties == The duties of a union steward vary according to each trades union's [constitution](/source/constitution)al mandate for the position. In general, most union stewards perform the following functions: *Monitor and enforce the provisions of the [collective bargaining](/source/collective_bargaining) agreement (labour contract) to ensure both the firm and union worker are not violating the terms of the agreement. *Ensure that the firm is in compliance with all national, state and local [law](/source/law)s and [regulation](/source/regulation)s. *Represent and defend fellow workers whom the firm believes violated company policy or the terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreement, often through the [grievance](/source/grievance_(labour)) process. *Communicate and disseminate official union policy, memos and directives to workers in the shop. *Popularize and promote union consciousness and values in the workplace. Unlike other union representatives, stewards work on the [shop floor](/source/shop_floor), connecting workers with union officials at regional or national levels. The role of shop stewards may vary from being a mere representative of a larger national union towards independent structures with the power of collective bargaining in the workplace. == In political history == In the United Kingdom, a network called [Shop Stewards Movement](/source/Shop_Stewards_Movement) organised shop stewards against the First World War. In Germany, a network of shop stewards called [Revolutionary Stewards](/source/Revolutionary_Stewards) took an important role in the revolutionary "[January Strike](/source/German_strike_of_January_1918)".Ralf Hoffrogge, ''Working-Class Politics in the German Revolution. Richard Müller, the Revolutionary Shop Stewards and the Origins of the Council Movement'', Brill Publications 2014, {{ISBN|978-9-00421-921-2}}., pp. 21-31. == Other designations == '''Father of the chapel''' ('''FoC''') or '''mother of the chapel''' ('''MoC''') are the titles in the United Kingdom and [Australasia](/source/Australasia) referring to a [shop steward](/source/shop_steward) representing members of a [trades union](/source/trades_union) in a [printing](/source/printing) office or in [journalism](/source/journalism). The FoC or MoC is assisted by the '''clerk of the chapel''' or by a '''deputy FoC/MoC'''. In the printing trade, a chapel is the traditional name given to a meeting of [compositor](/source/Typesetting)s. The name originates in the early history of printing in Great Britain, though the [National Union of Journalists](/source/National_Union_of_Journalists) states that the precise origins of the terms are unclear.{{Cite web | url=https://www.nuj.org.uk/work/chapels/ | title=National Union of Journalists (NUJ): Chapels and branches }} == Further reading == * John Benson, ''Unions at the Workplace: Shop Steward Leadership and Ideology'', 1991. * Ralf Hoffrogge, ''Working-Class Politics in the German Revolution. Richard Müller, the Revolutionary Shop Stewards and the Origins of the Council Movement'', Brill Publications 2014, {{ISBN|978-9-00421-921-2}}. * Y. Rittau and T. Dundon, 2010, The roles and functions of shop stewards in workplace partnership: evidence from the Republic of Ireland, Employee Relations, Vol 32(1), p. 10-27. ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Organized labor}} {{Portal bar|Organized labour}} {{Authority control}} Category:Labor relations Category:Trade unionists --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Union representative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_representative) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_representative?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.