Step 1: Take a Basic Steward Training class
Two-day classes are offered throughout the year on weekends in each Local 1000 area office. You must RSVP to 866.471.7348 for a class. Saturdays are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Coffee and baked goods are provided in the morning and lunch is provided.

At the end of the second day of training you will receive a certificate to fill out in class. The trainer will sign the certificate, turn it in to a Local 1000 area office--and then provide you with a petition for your worksite.

Step 2: Petition your worksite
At the end of the steward training class you will receive a petition you must take back to your worksite. If your worksite has more than 250 members you need at least 25 signatures from members who want you to become a steward. If your worksite has less than 250 members you only need to get signatures from 10 percent of those members. [Note: This includes any members in the building where you work; they do not have to perform the same job as you, they just have to be members in your worksite.]

As soon your petition is completed, mail to:
SEIU Local 1000, Attn: V.P. for Organizing and Representation, 1808 14th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811, or fax to: 916.554.1283

As soon as the trainer certificate and your worksite petition are received, they will be processed and you will be certified. A "New Steward Notice" is sent to the department Employment or Labor Realtions officer (ERO) each month with names of members who have become stewards during that period of time. 

What does a job steward do?

Job stewards recruit co-workers to join the union and work to engage them in union activities while maintaining positive relationships among members, stewards and union staff. They mobilize members by communicating the union's programs, plans, priorities, accomplishments and challenges as well as organizing and mobilizing members in the workplace, community and political arena.

Some stewards may wish to focus on advocating for individuals and groups including preparing grievances/complaints, attending "Skelly" hearings, performing investigatory interviews of employees subject to any non-criminal investigation and many other aspects of employee/management issues.

See more details in Division 6, Stewards in the Local 1000 policy file [PDF] >>