Union representative vs shop steward

The differences between union representatives and shop stewards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a union representative, becoming a shop steward takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a union representative has an average salary of $55,811, which is higher than the $45,813 average annual salary of a shop steward.

The top three skills for a union representative include arbitration, collective bargaining agreements and contract negotiations. The most important skills for a shop steward are safety standards, disciplinary actions, and grievance process.

Union representative vs shop steward overview

	Union Representative	Shop Steward
Yearly salary	$55,811	$45,813
Hourly rate	$26.83	$22.03
Growth rate	-3%	8%
Number of jobs	674	13,320
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	6

Union representative vs shop steward salary

Union representatives and shop stewards have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Union Representative	Shop Steward
Average salary	$55,811	$45,813
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $82,000	Between $31,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between union representative and shop steward education

There are a few differences between a union representative and a shop steward in terms of educational background:

	Union Representative	Shop Steward
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Pennsylvania

Union representative vs shop steward demographics

Here are the differences between union representatives' and shop stewards' demographics:

	Union Representative	Shop Steward
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1%	Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 7.8% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between union representative and shop steward duties and responsibilities

Union representative example responsibilities.

Manage extensive grievance and arbitration procedures.
Process these transactions through the computerized system - PeopleSoft.
Serve as an ERT team-member and certify in DI water.
Perform regenerations on DI systems and perform operations on 1200 ton chillers.
Configure and administer NFS, NIS+, NIS, DNS and automounter.
Counsele and train all specialists in strict adherence to all EEO laws, rules and regulations.

Shop steward example responsibilities.

Manage all aspects of busy office including data entry, filing, payroll, taxes, answering phones and ordering supplies.
Represent union employees and mediate with management.
lead carpenter and layout man on various projects throughout Westchester and NYC.
Work as steward keeping a weekly payroll report for wages and fringe benefits.
Train and supervise new employees, and maintain CDL and state inspection records.
Require informed knowledge of applicable EEO laws, as well as contractual matters.

Union representative vs shop steward skills

Common union representative skills

Arbitration, 18%
Collective Bargaining Agreements, 16%
Contract Negotiations, 15%
Labor Relations, 11%
Contract Language, 10%
Collective Bargaining, 7%

Common shop steward skills

Safety Standards, 46%
Disciplinary Actions, 6%
Grievance Process, 6%
Payroll, 4%
Contract Negotiations, 4%
Conflict Resolution, 4%