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I've had a devil of a time getting my union to help me in a dispute with my employer. When they have "helped" the help has been tepid and weak. I've had to drag every bit of help out of them. They say they can only grieve things that are specifically mentioned in the contract (even if those things are extraordinarily unusual, literally unheard of behaviors by management) but at the same time they have refused to file grievances on things that are clearly stated in the contract. When I asked for representation at a meeting they said they could send a rep but the rep couldn't do much for me. I had to point out that if a rep can't REPRESENT me then they aren't being a rep at all. Finally they agreed to send someone to represent me, but it was like pulling teeth to get that much out of them. The union has been almost as difficult to get help from as management. Why?
This is not an anti-union thread. I am pro-union. I am just frustrated as hell.
In my experience, unions don't put much effort into complaints that they think are without merit or are just being nit picky, because union contracts go both ways.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I have been a manager of union workers and while no one ever filed a grievance against me, I have had the union reps ask to meet with me on behalf of some of my workers. The union rep/shop steward is not necessarily trained in handling employment law or disputes, they are typically volunteers confirmed by a vote of members. often no one else wants to do it so they are approved whether qualified or not. In my case, those cases where they did attempt to intervene were cut and dried, and their efforts failed. For example, an employee repeatedly intoxicated on the job, or failure to pass probation with plenty of documentation of their inept performance over their first 4-6 months. In most cases where I worked, the union would not get involved to any significant extent unless someone was threatened with firing, or something threatened their existence. For example, any work being done by a non-union worker/contractor, or even a manager doing something that falls under the duties of a union worker, such as hanging a picture in an office (carpenter
required).
In my instance the case against me is extremely weak, with strong evidence that my supervisor is motivated by retaliation. But for some reason I have to drag every ounce of help out of the union.
I work for a union shop, and have had greiviance training, and have served on the local board.
Can you please tell me pacifically what your greivieance is ?
What exactly is your complaint ?
One of my complaints is that they would not do anything when I was not given a performance evaluation during my probation. They told me they couldn't file grievance for someone on probation, but I later found out that is not true. And the contract specifically states that an eval should be done.
Another time I needed a rep at a meeting and the contract clearly states I could have a rep. But I had to drag out of them whether the rep would actually do or say anything on my behalf. When I asked they said they kept saying they couldn't do much. Finally, after going back and forth they agreed they would actually represent me at the meeting instead of just take up chair space. So it was a major effort just to get them to say that their representative would actively represent me.
The union rep/shop steward is not necessarily trained in handling employment law or disputes, they are typically volunteers confirmed by a vote of members. often no one else wants to do it so they are approved whether qualified or not.
This.
Something to keep in mind, OP, is that unions have been weakened over the years. The current climate is not friendly to unions. That's one strike against the union. Have you read your contract? You need to know what's in it. It sounds like the union is useless (like someone else mentioned, a union in name only), so are probably better off educating and standing up for yourself. It sucks, but nobody is going to care about your issue more than you.
I've been in two union environments. I was a steward in one, and we had a pretty good contract. The problem with that union is they really only seemed to take the strong cases. It was frustrating as a steward, because I felt if we enforced the ENTIRE contract whenever there was a violation, management wouldn't feel so empowered to violate it. My hands were tied in a lot of ways because even if I was the "attack dog" at my level, management knew the person above me was spineless. The person above me had more power than me but was way less assertive. So I was powerless by association. It made being a steward way more stressful and frustrating. But I enjoyed the job immensely. Honestly, if I could get paid a good salary to be a full-time steward, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I got more satisfaction from my union duties than my real job. Anyway...back to the topic. You can have the best contract in the world. It means nothing if your union doesn't enforce it. The other union job I had not only had terrible stewards, but the contract was one of the worst I've seen. The contract mentioned management in the "Employee Rights" section! I was floored. What union gives management EXTRA rights?! I asked more questions in staff meetings than the stewards. I would have never, ever asked those stewards to sit in on my management meetings. It sounds like this is your union. You can try to go above your assigned steward, but it may be more of the same. The best thing you can do for yourself is learn your contract front-to-back. Stand up for yourself. Ask management questions--show them you know the contract. It sounds daunting but it works. And if your coworkers realize you know your stuff, they may want to vote YOU in as the steward.
One of my complaints is that they would not do anything when I was not given a performance evaluation during my probation. They told me they couldn't file grievance for someone on probation, but I later found out that is not true. And the contract specifically states that an eval should be done.
In addition to not following the contract, an employer cannot violate their own policies. If this happens to you in the future (not being given a performance evaluation during your probation) and you face termination or some other adverse action, your employer would be at a disadvantage if you filed a grievance. Keep in mind that you don't need the union to file your grievance--you can do it on your own. If you had a good union, it would be to your advantage to let them represent you (the whole "power in numbers" thing), but it your situation, you have nothing to lose by doing it yourself.
This is why it's important to know the contract. Use it to your advantage.
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