Leading your local, chosen by you
If you’ve ever reached out to your union for help, chances are one of the first people you spoke with was your local president.
Local presidents are elected by the members they work alongside. They volunteer to represent the members in their local.
Some days that means helping a member understand their rights. Other days it means helping shop stewards with grievance investigations, addressing safety concerns, planning local meetings where members can ask questions, raise concerns and have a say in the direction of their union, chairing meetings, organizing committees or working through difficult workplace issues. They listen. They advocate. They ask difficult questions. Sometimes they have to deliver news members don’t want to hear.
They also help ensure their local has trained shop stewards available to support members when they need representation. These responsibilities are set out in our union constitution, but the day-to-day reality often goes far beyond that.
A local president might spend their lunch break answering questions from members, their evening attending meetings, and their day off helping someone who’s facing discipline, a workplace conflict or a safety issue.
Many also serve on union committees, participate in bargaining discussions, help welcome new members, attend labour council meetings and work with union staff to solve problems. Their work helps strengthen their local and the entire union.
Like every elected position in your union, local presidents are accountable to the members who elected them. They lead because their co-workers have placed their trust in them. That trust carries real responsibility.
Most members only see a fraction of what their local president does. Much of their work happens quietly, long before most members ever know there’s a problem. The next time you see your local president, remember much of the work they do happens quietly, behind the scenes. With every phone call answered, meeting attended and problem resolved, our workplaces become safer, fairer and stronger.
To our local presidents: thank you. Your commitment, leadership and countless hours of volunteer service make a real difference to our members every day.
