141 Report: Sean Rosario, Educator at United Lodge 914

141 Report: Sean Rosario, Educator at United Lodge 914

Dave Lehive stopped by a Shop Steward training class at Local 914 recently, and impressed by what he saw, he returned via Zoom to speak with Sean Rosario, Educator, Safety Advocate, and Shop Steward for the United Lodge 914 in Newark, New Jersey.

Brother Sean Rosario is a 14-year veteran of Continental/United, and as a Lead Ramp Services Agent, has served as a Safety Advocate at EWR for 10 years. He is also a Shop Steward and has represented his local as a delegate to several IAMAW conferences and conventions. Inspired by his experience at the William W. Winpisinger Center, he became the Local Lodge 914 Educator in January 2021.

In his role as Safety Advocate, Sean engaged with his co-workers in “peer-to-peer” education, but after he completed Leadership classes at the Winpisinger Center, he took to heart the call to “take this knowledge and information and share it with the members,” and sought a more active role as Local Lodge Educator.

He began teaching Shop Steward classes this year, which have been well received by both new and experienced Shop Stewards. With the support of Mac McGovern, District 141 Director of Education, and the district’s Education Representatives, Sean uses a hybrid model where some topics are discussed in-person, and they handle others via Zoom on a big screen. Local Lodge 914 is housed in a large space near Newark Liberty Airport that can accommodate classes following safety protocols of masking and physical distancing. Sean’s creative style includes breaking out the group into smaller units to do role play and solve problems.

Sean has taught initial Shop Steward training for UGE Stewards, and an Advanced Shop Steward class that has proven invaluable, especially for Stewards who took leaves of absence during the height of the pandemic and are returning to active duty at EWR. In the wake of many retirements in 2020, there is also a need to train new Stewards who were appointed to represent members in Customer Service, Ramp, Stores, and UGE.

We hear from Paulina Ganhito, a Shop Steward in Customer Service for 10 years, who says “We never stop learning,” and from Raymond Ortega, who has represented his coworkers on the EWR ramp for just 3 months. Sean describes Ray as “a rising star, very passionate,” and someone who took the next step and became a Shop Steward after filing many grievances to defend his rights and his coworkers’.

Eager to return to the Winpisinger Center for the Train the Trainer course that will complete his IAM Leadership education, Sean will continue to inspire members to follow in his footsteps so they can also become a valued resource for the membership.