Benefits of Becoming a Shop Steward
Are you tired of building things out of a tiny corner of your apartment? Would it be nice to have access to specialized tools like a router table, bandsaw, or drill press? Do you want to build things in the Alder Commons Woodshop on evenings or weekends?
By getting certified as a Shop Steward, Members can:
- Access and use the woodshop during our building hours: 7am to Midnight
- Reserve the woodshop for your own project time
- Teach your own classes out of our woodshop during our public hours: weekdays after 5:00pm and on weekends
Certification Process
If you’re interested in becoming a Shop Steward, the first step is to become an Alder Commons Member! The membership process starts by joining us at one of our Open Houses, hosted on Tuesday evenings at 5:30pm.
If Members wish to use the woodshop as a Shop Steward without the Woodshop Manager present, they must work with our Woodshop Manager to get trained and certified in the following:
- Be able to operate the following basic tools confidently and without instruction:
- Table saw
- Miter saw
- Band Saw
- Understand the importance and application of the following:
- Basic Shop Safety
- Use of PPE (eye and ear protection, close-toed shoes, masks), and injury prevention practices
- Dust collection (permanent system for larger tools, as well as smaller dust collectors for individual tools)
- Shop First Aid (what to do in the case of an accident, and who to call in the case of an emergency)
- Shop cleaning
- How to clean up & close-up
- Use of brooms & shop vac, etc.
- Shop organization
- Materials available for use vs. private storage
- Tool and supply storage
Once the Woodshop Manager has determined that you’re able to work out of the woodshop safely, you’ll be certified as a Shop Steward and can start reserving time in the woodshop either to work on your own projects or to host programs out of the space. Please note that experienced woodworkers may get certified in a much shorter time period than others requiring training, but they will still need to go through the certification process for safety purposes.
What Shop Stewards can expect of us
- Maintain woodshop so that it can be clean and available for use when you need it
- Manage inventory of basic supplies, and refill when necessary
- In addition to training on the table saw, miter saw, and band saw, you will have opportunities to train on additional tools such as the router table, planer, jointer, etc.
- Host yearly Recertification of Shop Stewards event where current shop stewards will gather for a pizza party, a shop cleanout, and a review of safety protocols
- Staff support for Shop Stewards who want to add their own programs to the calendar
What we expect of Shop Stewards
- Follow the main safety rule of the shop: IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE SOMETHING, DON’T USE IT.
- Maintain culture of inclusivity and accessibility in the space, consistent with our Core Values
- Reset the shop after each use
- Put away tools and supplies
- Sweep the floor
- Turn out the lights
- Clean and wash paint brushes if they were used
- Ensure that both doors are locked and closed
- Host 1 regularly scheduled Open Shop Hours session per month (3 hrs/ session), during which Members may join you in the shop to build something and/or learn how to use a tool; if you’re unable to host your monthly session, let the Woodshop Manager know so we can cancel it
- Get recertified on a yearly basis if interested in continuing as a Shop Steward
- Pay a sliding scale “extras” fee based on square footage if you’ll be storing your own tools, materials, or in-progress projects in the shop
