Union Grievance – now what

Introduction

Grievances are a way for employees to address workplace issues and seek resolution. If a grievance is filed with the employer, these are the steps needed to follow in order for it to be considered:

Notify the employer

You must notify your employer of the grievance in writing. Include the following information:

• The specific nature of the grievance, including a description of what happened and how it was unfair or discriminatory (for example, “I did not get my shift differential pay and I told my manager and it has not been paid to me.”)
• Your name, address, and phone number.
• A statement that you want to resolve the matter by using grievance procedures, with a description of those procedures (for example, “I want to use our existing employee handbook.”)

Try to resolve this informally

• Informal resolution: If you’re having issues with your manager, or another employee, and want to resolve the situation informally, you can do so by talking directly to them about the concern. This is a good option if the issue is between two people rather than an entire department.
• Formal resolution: If the problem lies in your whole department or with an organization-wide issue (like pay disparity), it may be appropriate to start off with an informal process before moving forward with formal steps.
• Grievance process: A grievance is essentially a formal complaint filed by an employee against their employer relating to unfair treatment that they feel they have received on account of age, disability, gender identification/expression/presentation /race/religion/national origin/sexual orientation /veteran status

File a written grievance

• Depending on your contract, a grievance must be filed within 15 days of the violation. The grievance should be in writing. A grievance must state the facts, the contract provision that is violated, and the remedy sought.

Meet with the supervisor within 10 days of filing a written grievance

Let’s start with a definition: a grievance is a complaint about an employer’s violation of the contract. It can take many forms, from filing formal charges against your supervisor to threatening to quit if your boss doesn’t treat you better. If you have trouble figuring out what form would work best for you, check out your Union contract! Once you’ve decided that filing a grievance is the right way to go, here are some steps to take:

• Meet with your supervisor within 10 days after filing your written grievance and explain why they did what they did wrong (if possible). You’ll also need proof of this meeting—a note or email will do! In this meeting make sure that everyone understands how they’re supposed to act going forward and come up with concrete steps towards improving working conditions, so everyone feels more comfortable doing their job without feeling harassed or disrespected anymore.

Conclusion

It is important to note that the most effective grievance process is one in which both parties are open and constructive. Making sure that you have all of your facts straight before filing a grievance will help ensure that the process goes smoothly and efficiently. It is very important to work together to try to resolve Labor Relations issues.  With a professional and timely response, many grievances can be settled rather quickly.  To learn more about Labor Relations and improving relations, please visit our blog on the matter.  SHRM has an excellent article on the typical steps of a Grievance.