Union Grievances
LindaS
1,510 Posts
As you know from previous posts, we are a union facility with an increasing number of problems with the committee. Here is just the latest problem that I am looking for assistance with...
I received two written grievances today. Neither one, in my opinion, outlines what they feel the grievance in a specific manner that allows me to answer it with certainty regarding the problem. Here's one example...
Description of grievance, "Article V Section 5.04 and any other article or sections that apply. Grievance needs to be made whole".
Now with the above statement, I am left to GUESS at what the issue is, when it occurred, who was affected or what the remedy requested is. I returned this grievance, along with the other one as it is written in the same manner, to the union VP who refused to do anything with it and futher informed me that it was the business rep. who told him to write it like this. I placed the grievances in front of him and he returned them, unchanged, to my mailbox. What can I do? Do I contact the business rep. and TRY talking to him? Do I take a GUESS at what the problem is and try answering it? Do I ignore it?
We had a similar situation about 1-1/2 years ago and I answered the grievance on what I GUESSED was the issue but the grievance is now going to arbitration and when I ask the business rep. WHAT they are grieving he doesn't even know.
Any suggestions?
I received two written grievances today. Neither one, in my opinion, outlines what they feel the grievance in a specific manner that allows me to answer it with certainty regarding the problem. Here's one example...
Description of grievance, "Article V Section 5.04 and any other article or sections that apply. Grievance needs to be made whole".
Now with the above statement, I am left to GUESS at what the issue is, when it occurred, who was affected or what the remedy requested is. I returned this grievance, along with the other one as it is written in the same manner, to the union VP who refused to do anything with it and futher informed me that it was the business rep. who told him to write it like this. I placed the grievances in front of him and he returned them, unchanged, to my mailbox. What can I do? Do I contact the business rep. and TRY talking to him? Do I take a GUESS at what the problem is and try answering it? Do I ignore it?
We had a similar situation about 1-1/2 years ago and I answered the grievance on what I GUESSED was the issue but the grievance is now going to arbitration and when I ask the business rep. WHAT they are grieving he doesn't even know.
Any suggestions?
Comments
For the long-term, I suggest that you add language to your collective bargaining agreement that requires the union be specific as to the facts giving rise to the grievance, the specific articles and sections of articles that are being grieved, and the requested remedy. It should be clear that the "...and all articles that apply" phrase that unions love to use would not meet the requirment for specifically identifying the articles being grieved.
Agree with David's response -- your contract langugage should require the aggrieved to state in writing, exactly what contract term was violated – not that the union still won’t’t try to slide something ambiguous through from time to time.
You might want to consider communicating to them (in writing) precisely what you have presented here -- and that is that you will be unable to adequately respond to the grievance without the aggrieved adequately conveying to you (in writing) the contract term(s) that have been violated.
When dealing with the union, I maintain what little sanity I have left by being patient, taking none of it personal, and with few exceptions, always communicating in writing.
Geno