Below you will find some helpful information on filing your Steward Reports. While not exhaustive it is sufficient enough for the submittal of accurate, and acceptable Steward Reports. Please feel free to include your personal insight regarding steward Reports at our discussion forum, "The Steward Xchange". While you can find instructions on how to file your report behind the District Council's copy (see below or Click Here) there are areas that are still somewhat confusing. We hope the information we provide here clears up some of this confusion.
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Different companies have different "Pay Week Start" dates which are usually different from the actual pay date (i.e. day you receive check). The "Month" must be the month the "Pay Week" started, possibly different from the month the Steward starts recording hours or starts the job (i.e. Start Date).
The only areas that are to be "X"ed out are the areas where names are recorded and only if you have less than 10 entries, the area where length of the day is specified (e.g. 7hr, 8hr, Shift), and the area where you indicate that this is your last Steward Report for this job.
Careful not to write in boxes that are empty, the sheets are read by computers and any writing or markings will be recorded as information. Make sure your information is clear especially numerical information. Always capitalize, except for your personal signature.
Some Forepersons will refuse to sign the Reports based on company policy or outright contempt for the Union. Advise them that the company, as signatories of the governing contract, have agreed to complying with Union rules which dictate that Steward Reports be acknowledged & signed, and that they will be bound by the information recorded regardless of whether they sign said Report or not. Make an objective note in the "Notes" section regarding non-compliance. The company will designate who will sign on their behalf. This is not always the Foreperson.
Make sure you record only hours you have witnessed carpenters actually work. Do not assume the Foreperson or Journeyperson will be honest with you in your absence. Check with other Stewards or individual workers to verify information. If a carpenter leaves before the work day is over do not record this carpenter for the full work day, only record the hours they have worked. The reasoning behind this is that he may have left to another job site where another Steward is recording his hours. A Journeyperson can not be on two different Steward Reports for the same hours. He/she can be on two different reports due to different hours worked at different sites however. Make a note of this either in the "Notes" section or in your personal notes.
Make sure to keep notes either in the actual "Notes" section on your report or in your personal notes. Keep personal notes and attach notes to your copy of reports weekly before filing away for future reference. Some Stewards maintain Daily/Yearly Schedulers for this purpose and file said Scheduler away with that year's reports.
Never put yourself or anyone else in for hours not actually worked, regardless if the Foreperson states that you can or should. He may be the Foreman but he is usually not the Owner of the company. If in doubt refer your concerns and questions to your Business Representative (BR) and keep notes of contact with said BR and the subject discussed. Do not assume your BR will remember a specific issue if ever brought in for questioning by the District Council, the Independent Investigator, or the Review Officer.
Any questionable behavior observed on the job should be included in the "Notes" section. If you want to ensure that a questionable behavior be further looked into then definitely include this in the "Notes" section of your report.
Some Stewards have received conflicting orders regarding the use of the initial "R" to identify Requests. Some BR's will tell you the Steward Report does not allow for an "R" entry while others will tell you to use "R" to identify Requests. Check with your specific BR, follow his orders, and make a note of it in your personal notes. Do not record a Requested Journeyperson as Union (U) as opposed to Company (C) on your report until you verify with your BR if the person is indeed a Request. The BR should be able to show you a list of Requests. Often you will have to wait until you meet in person with your BR during submittal of your report for this verification. The problem with this is that you may have to wait a week until you are sure the company is complying with its ratio requirements. Hence, the importance of timely Requests verifications by the Steward. Companies sometimes use this delay tactic to keep a Company Man on the job at the expense of a another dues paying Carpenter which waits on the Out of Work List. If it is a short term job, delays in verifications of Requests can lead to a company conducting said work without ever fully complying with their obligation to the ratio rules. Your BR can inform you of the proper ratio for a specific job. For more on ratio requirements visit this link: Ratio Article. Again, always verify with another source (e.g. the District Council).
Keep in mind that while ALL Union members right to a job must be protected by the Steward, it is of the utmost importance that you enforce the applicable ratio for the type of job you are on. The rank and file waiting on the list for a job are counting on you to do yours. Do it proudly, efficiently, and faithfully.
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Steward Report Instructions
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