Both the labor union and the grievance representative will track the complaint as it makes its way through arbitration. Type: Policies and Documents Grievance Procedure for Collective Bargaining Agreement. Be sure to check your contract for any language that may limit the use of past practices for grievances. It is often wiser — a better strategy — to wait for a stronger case or series of cases that the union can take to arbitration with the hope of getting a favorable decision or a good settlement from management. Grievances are filed by employees and/or their unions against management… to management! You may "win" the grievance, in the formal sense. NTU's grievance procedure is our major weapon to ensure that all aspects of our contract are enforced. This briefing for supervisors examines the law and best practices for processing and investigating a grievance filed by a union or union employee. Union Grievance A union grievance may involve a dispute arising directly between the parties to the collective agreement. Those who are accused are called upon to judge their innocence or guilt. In order to be successful the Union must establish a case file that refutes the allegations and/or the basis management relies on for the issuance of the discipline. A past practice is any longstanding, frequent practice that is accepted and known by both union and management. The union files the form and any other relevant documents. BUT, the union has to be informed and the union has to be involved in the settlement of the grievance. After bargaining the employer may end the past practice. The employer must notify the union of its intent to end the past practice and must bargain with the union, if the union requests to bargain. The grievance system for employees not covered under a union agreement (which includes all supervisors and managers) is set forth in 5 CFR 771 and says virtually nothing. If the grievance goes to arbitration and you lose, you may be stuck with the result for a long time. Written for union stewards, officers, and members, this handbook provides methods for defining and categorizing past practices that will help you identify violations, present grievances, and win … Generally, grievances can get resolved through either mediation or arbitration. So a grievance can turn out to be no more than an "alleged violation" or even just a complaint. Be sure to check your contract for language that limits their use for grievances. Bona fide past practices are considered part of the contract, so grievances can be filed if management violates them. shift change. Union Grievances - Supervisor Briefing. But if you didn't demand the right resolution, it probably won't feel like much of a victory. Tips on Writing Effective Grievances Grievable • The first step to writing an effective grievance is to have an issue that really is ... produce documents and records. The point is that the outcome or the precedence of the grievance may have a detrimental effect on the local union at some point in the future and the union must challenge it. Return To Index That is the mission of the Union in all discipline cases. Only the union can decide whether the solution to the grievance is proper and doesn’t give up any contractual right or wrongly affect another worker. If they ignore that, the union can follow up with an unfair labor practice charge for failing to comply with the information request. Filing can occur in either a physical or electronic database. Most grievances are "real" in the sense that we are sure the employer has violated some-one's rights; but this doesn't mean we will always win the case. 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