Unions and Handbooks

Michelle Crowe

This is the first time I've had to deal with creating an Employee Handbook for a company with a union presence. This may seem like a stupid question; however, can a Company Handbook apply to union employee who also operate under a contract??

THANKS! Michelle

davids

The collective bargaining agreement takes precedence over the policies. However, if the CBA is silent on an issue, and the issue is permissive, then the policy would apply to the union-represented employee. If the CBA is silent and the issue addressed in the policy is a mandatory subject of bargaining, you would need to bargain it.

LindaS

Agree with David, if the CBA addresses the issue, it takes precedence.

What I did when I had to do this was to put the handbook together (I did not call it a "handbook", it was called a "Policy Manual") and give a copy to all of the committee members to review, ask questions, etc. before I made the final edition. I had several meetings with the committee to discuss issues and then had company meetings when it was done and ready for distribution (they all had to sign acknowledgment forms, BTW).

I THOUGHT this was the best way to do it, and maybe it was considering the fact that it was a union I was dealing with but they have "thrown it in my face" on numerous occasions since then (they pretend like they have never seen it before).

Bottom line, good luck!!