Handling Grievances
There is no magic to handling grievances. Your membership expects you to give them a fair shake. That's what they pay dues for. Your ability and credibility are the strongest attributes you possess to doing your job in a fair and professional manner.

To help you keep your eyes on the process and gain justice for your member, I have included 21 key points in grievance handling. Read them carefully and then read them again.

• Know your membership.
• Encourage your members to submit all grievances to their representative
• Discourage members from shopping around for a representative to file their grievance.
• If the member has a complaint, not a grievance, take the time to explain why it cannot be processed as a grievance.
• Do not make promises you cannot keep.
• Know your collective bargaining agreement. Read and reread it.
• Get all the relevant facts about a grievance and record them.
• Make sure the grievant knows what the issues are.
• Be honest with the grievant.
• Separate personal vendettas from real grievances.
• Plan your case and prepare at every stage.
• Keep the grievant informed at every stage.
• Try to settle the grievance early on.
• Discourage the member from discussing a grievance with management.
• Try to retain your member's confidence at all times.
• Discourage your members from processing their own grievances or settling privately with management.
• Listen to the grievant--know when he/she is telling the truth.
• If a worker has an obvious grievance and won't file it, find out why.
• Do not take bad grievances.
• Keep written records of all conversations. You will need them.
• Set up a filing system that works for you.

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