Record year for new stewards trained

Training new stewards and offering additional training to current stewards continues to be a focus of the MAPE Employee Rights Committee (ERC). In 2025, the ERC launched its fourth type of steward training – Contract Training for Stewards, adding to the already popular Basic Steward Training, Advanced Steward Training and Organizing as a Steward Training. Throughout the year, MAPE offered 12 sessions between the four trainings and all were completely full! New stewards totaled 123, bringing the total number of stewards across all of MAPE to 396.

“Being a union steward is important because it ensures that workers have a knowledgeable, accessible advocate who can help protect their rights and uphold the collective bargaining agreement,” explained Vice President Angie Halseth, who chairs the ERC. “Stewards serve as the first point of contact when issues arise, offering guidance, representation and support so employees don’t have to face workplace challenges alone. They help maintain fairness by addressing contract violations, communicating concerns to management and standing up for coworkers during disputes or disciplinary actions.”

“Beyond resolving issues, stewards strengthen the union by fostering communication, building solidarity and encouraging collective involvement,” said Halseth. “In this way, being a steward is not only about protecting individuals, but it's also about helping create a fair, respectful and empowered workplace for everyone.”

Any dues-paying member can become a steward, even if you are new to MAPE. Basic Steward Training (BST) is the first training a member must take to become a steward. All four BSTs offered in 2025 ended up on a waitlist.

Halseth attributed this to “the current political environment creating significant uncertainty and distrust, especially for government employees. Unilateral decision-making by elected officials, such as cutting employees’ telework without discussion or input, left many of our members feeling powerless. Becoming a steward offers them a way to reclaim a sense of control and agency. It empowers them by deepening their understanding of their contractual rights so they can advocate for themselves and support their coworkers.”

Rachel Horne, Local 502, is a new steward this year. She said she wanted to become a steward because, “My local was short on stewards and after volunteering as the LCAT for my region this last round of negotiations, I wanted to find a way to stay connected and provide more support to MAPE. I have a legal background, so ensuring my colleagues are treated fairly and know their rights is important to me because I know what can happen when people aren’t supported or don’t have the information they need to make good decisions.” 

The goal of MAPE is to have one steward for every 20 MAPE-represented employees. Stewards are the foundation of strong workplace representation, and making sure members can get access to a steward requires there to be enough stewards across the union.

“The more stewards we have, the more effectively we can protect members’ rights, enforce the contract and ensure that issues are addressed quickly and fairly,” Halseth said. “A larger steward network means better communication throughout worksites spread across the entire state, resulting in information flowing faster from leadership to members and from members back to leadership. It also distributes the workload so no single steward becomes overwhelmed, leading to more consistent support and higher-quality representation.”

MAPE is offering 12 Steward trainings in 2026, four will be BST, and Regional Steward Directors (RSD) are planning regional BSTs as well. Reach out to your RSD to see if your regional will be hosting steward trainings.

“The training is a really good intro to our union, and once you equip yourself with the knowledge, it’s a great way to share the load amongst our colleagues to help provide that support,” explained Horne. “I think we all have a role to play in making MAPE strong. The time commitment is low; the more of us there are, the stronger our union will be.”

“Broad steward participation helps build a culture of solidarity, empowers members to take ownership of our union and strengthens MAPE’s presence in every corner of the workplace,” continued Halseth. “Ultimately, having many engaged, trained stewards increases our power, visibility and ability to respond effectively to challenges, benefiting both members and the organization as a whole.”

“I encourage any dues-paying member to jump in and take the BST,” Halseth said. “You can decide after the training if you want to sign up to officially become a steward. If you’re not a dues-paying member, join today, and there is no wait time before taking the training.”