On October 17, stewards from Local 522 in Rahway, New Jersey attended a training seminar. James Kane, the local's Secretary-Treasurer, welcomed more than 40 stewards who participated in the day-long seminar and thanked them for their dedicated service to the membership.

“The goal of this seminar was to celebrate the commitment of Teamster stewards and empower them through education,” Kane said. “These training programs are very important. They give recognition to the stewards for their hard work and help enhance service to our members in a number of ways.”

The day included presentations on a number of topics and gave the participants an opportunity to practice some of the skills needed on a daily basis in their role as stewards. Joe Byers, Local 522 President, and Peter King, a Local 522 business representative, discussed what it takes to be effective on the shop floor. Kate O’Connor, a Teamsters Warehouse Division Representative, talked about the hidden dangers of Wal-Mart and its effect on Teamster-organized industries.

“This seminar made me realize the need and importance of my relationship with my fellow brothers and sisters,” said John Dias. “The material covered will definitely help me.”

Myron Sharp, a Teamsters Training Coordinator, led the stewards in a workshop, focusing on investigating and documenting workplace disputes. Joe Saroli, a Field Action Representative, gave a presentation on DRIVE and discussed the importance of political action by the union.

“The seminar was great,” said Renee Araoz.”  I hope we can have more educational seminars like this one.”