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AFL-CIO STEWARD TRAINING SEMINAR WELL ATTENDED

The Central Maryland AFL-CIO Council held its fourth seminar in a series of collective bargaining subjects centering on steward training. Sixty-three students from Frederick and Washington counties, representing fourteen national/international unions, were challenged in a day long session, at the UAW Local 171 Hall, Hagerstown, by instructor Dave Smith, retired international United Auto Workers grievance handling instructor, to increase their skills in representing their members at various levels of the grievance process.

The class was divided into five different committees and each was given a grievance to study and prepare it for submission and appeal within their company procedure. Each committee presented oral argument of its case to the whole class. The agenda included the duty of fair representation, legal rights of an employee, identification of a grievance or a complaint, grievance investigation, assembling the facts, past practice, grievance writing and presentation, record keeping, and prelude to arbitration. Examination and comment of various collective bargaining contracts presently in effect in Frederick and Washington counties. The next seminar will be on arbitration. No date has been set. The council presents, from time to time, seminars on various subjects relating to the collective bargaining process. E.g. laws relating to health, transportation, and local, state and federal governments.