The ability to successfully handle grievances comes with practice and experience. Here is a list of helpful things to keep in mind when representing our members.
Every grievance that we get has the potential to go to arbitration, which is why your investigation and your notes are so important. Remember to answer the key questions: Who, What, Where, When, and Why.
When discussing a grievance with a member, whether you believe that it is a good grievance or not, it is important to be understanding and always file the grievance.
Sometimes the wheels of justice turn slowly, after the grievance is filed give our member periodic updates on where their issue is in the process.
Every situation is unique. Be careful not to promise to the member what you can’t deliver. It is always better to say, “I will file your grievance and look into it,” rather than “You have a sure winner here. I guarantee that management will have to pay this time.”
Before meeting with management on a grievance, you should prepare so that you can present your case with the evidence to back up your argument. It is helpful to anticipate what management’s position is on the grievance so that you can have counterpoints to their argument.
In a grievance meeting, your objective is to get a settlement that is favorable to our member. Be prepared to offer a resolution to the grievance and make arguments that support your position.
In discipline and discharge cases, management must have cause and they have the burden of proof. This means management must present their evidence before they ask questions.
When in a grievance meeting, listen carefully to what management is saying. It may be telling you something that will help you settle the grievance either in that meeting or later on in the procedure. And remember to keep calm and reasonable.
One of the easiest ways to lose a grievance is to miss a time limit. You should know how much time you have to file a grievance.
When writing a grievance, you should not only cite the article of the contract that was violated but you should include the phrase “and all others” so that if your investigation uncovers additional violations, they will be covered in the grievance.
When writing the description of the incident that caused the grievance, make that description as brief as possible. You do not argue or present your case in writing the grievance.