Union Representative

What is an Union Representative?

Duties

The following duties are taken care of by a union representative:

• Coordinating with committee representatives, members of the executive board and other key staff to create and execute impactful campaigns and overseeing the effective functioning of the union, e.g. training and recruitment of members and stewards.
• Be the central point of contact for local union leaders that are looking to resolve challenges and provide timely responses to any requests for information.
• Take charge of the administration of collective bargaining agreements as assigned; share learnings with field staff and management as to accurately interpreting and implementing collective bargaining agreements.
• Ensure that all activities are in compliance with applicable state and federal laws and keep track of current trends in employment, labor laws, regulations, etc. to update union policies and procedures.

Day In The Life

The main duty of a union representative is to motivate employees towards a better workplace environment. While this tends to show in more straightforward approaches such as strikes and boycotts, union representatives also have the important task of negotiating the best possible agreements between diverse groups of workers and their managers.

Having strong communication skills is a must when your role requires you to frequently interact with disgruntled employees and defensive management. You are responsible for presenting the employee’s case and listening closely to what is being offered by management for resolving conflicts. You will be leading multiple rounds of discussions before reaching the agreement stage. The discussions will revolve around important aspects like medical benefits, work schedules and increases in salary.

Depending on the need, a union representative makes the call to begin a new union group. Groups of workers may seek your opinion regarding whether or not to unionize based on your foundation knowledge. It is a tough decision and a lengthy process to track, since many employers are antagonistic towards unions.

Work Schedule

Union representatives typically have to be comfortable working highly flexible hours that include nights, holidays and weekends. You are to be constantly on the move visiting regular worksites, making home visits and even driving long distance for canvassing. Frequent travel is not unusual and can range from statewide to out of state with some periods away from home. As this is a position of leadership, you need to be very self-assured and monitor the workplace at different points of the day to see how the shop runs. When necessary to drive change, you must organize worker activity during strikes and boycotts or promote petitions.

Growth Of The Job

Union representatives usually start their career in entry-level roles like that of a human resources professional. With sufficient experience overtime, they advance gradually to become a union representative. Some ways to grow in this career path include starting a labour relations consulting firm or switching to alternative job sectors like career counselling, social work or public relations. A master’s degree is sometimes useful in fast-tracking your position as a union representative, since you will only develop practical experience on the job instead of straight out of university.

Typical Employers

More and more organizations are valuing the presence of a union representative that acts as an effective mediator between workers and the company. You can find potential job opportunities with both the public and private sectors. The type of position can be diverse depending on whether it is based at a government agency, hospital, university, manufacturing company or financial institution. Some professionals that are looking for a bigger challenge, prefer to branch out into working as a private consultant or representing smaller unions.