shop steward

noun

1. a unionized employee elected to represent a shop, department, or the like, in dealings with an employer.

shop steward

noun

1. a coworker elected by trade union members to represent them in discussions and negotiations with the management

Word History and Origins

Origin of shop steward¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Rafael Rendon, a custodian at Disney’s California Adventure Park, has talked to fellow SEIU-USWW members as a shop steward to see what matters most to them ahead of the Master Services Council’s upcoming contract negotiations.

From Los Angeles Times

"When I was there in the morning there it was a positive attitude around members and our shop stewards on site," he told BBC Radio Nottingham.

From BBC

But weeks later, some drivers reported they were fired for joining the union, and a shop steward told BuzzFeed News that Silverstar had shut down its Michigan location months after.

From Los Angeles Times

The reader should know that my grandfather was a shop steward on the heavily unionized railroads of the early 20th century.

From Seattle Times

Conversations no longer focused on his dad’s latest story, but on the duties he had to fulfill as a union shop steward.

From Los Angeles Times