A message from a retiring 464 member:
http://www.teamsters464.org/news/open-letter-my-fellow-union-members#
A union steward or shop steward is an official within the organizational hierarchy of a labour union. Rank-and-file members of the union hold this position voluntarily (through democratic election by fellow workers or sometimes by appointment of a higher union body) while maintaining their role as an employee of the firm. As a result, the Union Steward becomes a significant link and conduit of information between the union leadership and rank-and-file workers.