12. The Grievance Process

The fourth and last step of the grievance process is arbitration. If the Adjustment Board is unable to reach a majority decision, or the parties mutually waive the Adjustment Board, the union, and only the union, may invoke arbitration by filing a written request to do so within the timeframe prescribed in the applicable MOU. In an arbitration proceeding, the positions of the grievant and management are presented by attorneys. An arbitrator hears the grievance and renders a binding decision. The union and the Department within which the grievance arose share the cost of arbitration fees equally. Each party is responsible for its own legalRead More →

If the parties are unable to resolve the grievance after the Step 2 meeting, the union can advance the grievance to an Adjustment Board (Step 3) by submitting a written request to Employee & Labor Relations or the Human Resources Director within the timeframe prescribed in the applicable MOU. An employee cannot advance a grievance to the Adjustment Board without involving his/her union. An Adjustment Board is a hearing before a four-member panel that is tasked with attempting to resolve or adjust the grievance. For each Adjustment Board, the union appoints two panel members, and the Employee & Labor Relations Manager appoints two panel members.Read More →

In order to move a grievance to Step 2, an employee or union representative must write to Employee & Labor Relations or the Human Resources Director to formally file the grievance, stating the issue being grieved, the MOU section which is alleged to have been violated, and the desired remedy. This notification must be filed within the timeframes prescribed in the applicable MOU. This is why it is important to have a clear record of the date of issuance of Skelly Decision Letters. Following receipt of the grievance, Employee & Labor Relations schedules a Step 2 grievance meeting with the employee (and his/her union representativeRead More →

Step 1 involves the employee, with or without a union representative/steward, meeting with a management representative in his/her department to attempt to resolve the grievance. If the issue is not resolved at this step, or if the employee/union elects to waive the first step, the issue is moved to Step 2. Any grievance involving compensation must be submitted in writing to the Human Resources Department Director.Read More →

A grievance can be loosely defined as any concern or complaint raised by an employee. In this context, concerns/complaints may be raised about a wide variety of issues, such as building temperature, workload, or denial of a requested change in assignment or location. Supervisors should give a fair hearing to employees raising such complaints, and, if appropriate, discuss possible resolutions with their managers. Listening to and attempting to promptly resolve employee complaints is an essential step in maintaining high morale and positive employee-supervisory relations. In order to feel part of a productive team, employees need to know that they can raise concerns/complaints without fear ofRead More →