One of the questions facing stewards - and union members - is that of the relevance of unions today.
Stewards must be in a position to respond to respond to the question: Why are unions important?
Top 10 list of why unions are important:
- Unions bring democracy to the workplace
- Unions give workers a voice
- Unions provide a grievance process to their members
- Unionized workers have better working conditions
- Pay and benefits for unionized workers are higher
- Negotiated salaries for unionized workers raise the bar for non-unionized workers
- Social unionism addresses social issues, positively affecting change
- Unions play a role in creating greater equality in society
- National and international labour bodies advocate for workers' rights
- Health and safety in the workplace are key issues that unions take on