WARNING: pick your Union Stewards wisely

I think to first solve a problem it must be identified.
I am trying to get reinstated (long story).
Our unit, in the Teamsters, is hurting.
It is dead.

Where I work we have always had a Chief Steward, and many Shop Stewards, who have designs on moving out of the Bargaining Unit and into Management.
No one begrudges any one's desire to better their lot in life but this has been our downfall in where I work.
This is the #1 reason we have a virtually non-existent unit.

Just yesterday a co-worker and friend overheard the Chief Steward talking to a recently former Steward who is now a Supervisor.
The Supervisor was being congratulated by Chief Steward.
The (recently promoted) Supervisor said, "Your turn next". Where upon our current Chief Steward replied, "Yeah, they can have this union sh##. I'll be done with it".

This is so messed up.
I am looking to rejoin the union and become very active.
This nonsense will not stand when I do.

This nonsense has been going on from day one. The former Chief Steward, before our current one, is now in upper management and to this day the President of our Local and him go to lunch together. A member of our unit found out that the President knew about his issues before anyone in the unit told him. Obviously the Manager told him either by phone or over lunch. The member works under this Manager and the "issues" are directly involving this Manager.
This cozy relationship, between our former Chief Steward and Local President, stinks to high heaven. Isn't illegal?

Be on the lookout for this and be VERY careful who you pick for Stewards.
Pick Stewards who will have NO conflict of interest.
Pick Stewards who will not "sell out" their members.
Pick Stewards who understand what fiduciary trust means!!

In the two years since, I woke up an activist part of me that was napping. I will never be management, so I do a good job on the things I'm supposed to. But my wife was somewhat shafted by a bad steward years ago. I don't know what the problem was there. Maybe just not a good Steward period.