It does not seem to be clear on this thread, but the man who did the firing was a union shop steward. He does not participate in the construction work.

Here is what "Local 1500" has to say about the position of...

Shop Stewards

The Steward's Role

The shop steward holds a special place in any union. At the worksite, the steward is the union - the link between union members and management.

Shop stewards are members' first line of defense, responsible for enforcing the contract and handling grievances, and for proactively ensuring worksite safety, mobilizing members for the union's political campaigns, orienting new members to the worksite and the union, and more.

Your job as a shop steward is more than a list of duties, however: Your chief responsibility is building a united, organized, and involved membership at your worksite. Stewards play both offense and defense.

All this gives shop stewards a special responsibility, but also a special authority that is protected by law as well as your union contract. As a shop steward, you deal with management as an equal. It is a violation of federal law for your employer to discriminate or retaliate against you for fulfilling your steward duties.

Because of the importance of shop stewards, Local 1500 is making it a priority to grow and strengthen the base of stewards who populate our many worksites.

What Is a Shop Steward?

*A Communicator: Members need to know what's going on. You do this through worksite meetings, your union bulletin board, and most importantly, one-on-one conversations.

*A Problem Solver: Not every problem is a grievance. You can prevent most problems from becoming grievances by taking appropriate actions: getting the facts, creating a plan, and involving members.

*An Educator: Education comes not just through teaching, but through action. Union members learn by sharing experiences, taking action, and discussing it afterward.

*A Health and Safety Watchdog: You may not need hard hats and thick gloves, but modern office technologies pose plenty of dangers. A steward helps keep his or her co-workers safe on the job.

*A Political Activist: As public employees, your real bosses are your elected officials. That's why politics is part of every Local 1500 member's job. Our stewards advance our political goals by mobilizing members for phone banks, rallies and get-out-the-vote activities.