Indeed. Stewards work at the direction of the EXCO.

Elections imply that an office has a duty to the electorate rather than the organization around them. If the stewards are just admin assistants to the exco/eboard, it doesn't seem entirely honest for us to have an election for them. Somewhere there's a disconnect between the intent and and reality here.

I took a nap and re-read my comments. I think I'm coming off angrier than I actually am. To me this is more like a discussion on how to make the best clock for people that will come after us rather than a statement on who's around and above us right now.

What is the general feeling of current contract negotiations after the recent court rulings? Is Atlas any closer to a contract?

May 15th started a 9 month clock for negotiations. After that, all outstanding issues are taken to binding arbitration. Likely looking at May 2021 as the earliest possible date for a new CBA. The new CBA will, in the end, be decided by an arbitrator, so there will be no ratification vote.

2750 Bylaws
 

What kind of car will the Union provide the leadership under the new bylaws? Big Mercedes?

If you see something you don’t like in the bylaws, please comment on it. God knows I have.

Sorry, I didn't see this until now.

Stewards are not administrative assistants to EXCO/E-Board. Union stewards are representatives for the pilots in grievance proceedings, as well as in disciplinary hearings. They also often work as an intermediary between pilots and management in day to day contractual disputes. Think of it as an LEC rep in an ALPA shop. They're elected because they're direct intermediaries between pilots and management, and pilots should have a say in who those people are.

A good writeup of the role: https://ufcw175.com/2019/01/16/union-steward-role/

Thanks for this!