Member tip for the week of June 30, 2008

Your Role in the Grievance/Arbitration Process

At all stages of the grievance/arbitration process, your role is to assist your union representatives in pursuing and processing the case.  It’s not enough simply to file a grievance and then figure that the union will do the necessary work to win it.  As a very practical matter, you are likely to be familiar with facts that your union representatives are not, so you need to stay involved at all stages so that you can provide important input.  You also owe it to yourself and to the union to be involved every step of the way, so that you can have a realistic outlook if the question of settlement comes up at any stage of the processing of the case.

Adapted from The Union Members Complete Guide, by Michael Mauer