Grievances

I want to file a grievance. How do I do that?

You can file a grievance by contacting a shop steward or union representative in your work area, or by contacting the Guild office. You can download a grievance form from this web site (below). The first, important task is to write down the details of the grievance, giving as many specific details as possible. Do this first! If you wait until later, you may forget something.

Nearly all contracts have a “statute of limitations” on grievances, which means there’s a certain window of opportunity for filing a grievance. The window varies from contract to contract, so it’s important to check the agreement that applies to your workplace.

Once a grievance is filed, you will be expected to meet with the employer, along with a union representative, to discuss the grievance and air the dispute. Sometimes contracts spell out specific time periods for such meetings. You can help move your grievance along by providing the union with complete information and by keeping your representatives informed of any changes in your status or new information that would help your case. You can play an important role by contacting witnesses or gathering information to use to present the grievance to the employer.

How are grievances resolved?

Grievances may be resolved in a variety of ways. They may be:

• Remedied, if the employer agrees to the union’s proposed remedy for the grievance;
• Settled, if the employer and the union agree to a different negotiated solution;
• Withdrawn, if the union determines the grievance has no merit or is not a violation of the contract or other applicable rules or laws; if there is no satisfactory way to resolve the issue, or, in some cases, if the grievant terminates his or her employment with the employer, or
• Arbitrated, if the employer, the union or both parties decide to send the grievance to a third-party arbitrator, whose decision is binding. The decision to arbitrate a grievance rests with the union’s officers and Executive Board.

To download a grievance form, click here.