"STEWARD'S TIP OF THE WEEK"
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STEWARDS: DO YOU HAVE A TIP TO SHARE?
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May 5, 2009
"We Can Work It Out"
Not every problem needs to become a grievance.
Sometimes, as a steward, the best thing you can do for your member and for the union is to win an informal settlement by going directly to management. By settling informally, you get results that are immediate and maybe better than what you would get after weeks or even months of the grievance and arbitration procedure.
Make sure you have the member's permission to settle their problem and a good sense of what they are willing to settle for, and what not. Only if s/he agrees, should you approach the manager in a calm and respectful manner, remembering that, at least for now, you are trying to avoid an adversarial situation.
When you go to management, you should have at least one worker with you so no one thinks you are making deals behind their back. Reaching an informal settlement often takes more than one meeting; be sure to keep track of the grievance filing deadline and file a grievance on time, even if you are still working on an informal settlement. Sometimes a promising settlement falls through. The grievance has to be in place, filed on time, and ready to go.
Any settlement that affects other union members needs to be agreed to by the membership, even if informally, and the settlement must be in writing and signed off on by the union and the employer. Always consult with a field rep before signing anything or concluding any settlements.
Some disputes are clearly impossible to settle by an informal settlement and, in those cases, you can simply start the grievance procedure immediately.
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