Local workplace industrial relations and the interaction between worker representatives and enterprise management have been neglected in industrial relations research. This study attempts to rectify this situation. By focusing attention on the workplace a number of important questions are raised. In particular, what, if any, is the role of shop stewards in a centralized system dominated by unions, employers, and tribunals organized on a state and national basis? How does this role manifest itself in terms of the stewards' relationships with members, fellow shop stewards, union officials, and management?