- Know your membership.
- Encourage the membership to steer all grievances towards the union.
- Know your collective agreement.
- Make sure the griever know what the issues are.
- Separate personal vendettas from real grievances and remedies.
- Plan and prepare your case at every stage.
- Brief your member before every meeting you both have with management.
- Present a united front when meeting with the management, especially if you meet as a committee.
- Try to settle the grievance early on, if possible before filing.
- Discourage members from discussing a grievance with management after the Union has become involved.
- If you have to hold a meeting with a manager on your own, explain to you member why you are doing it and what you expect to get out of it.
- Listen to the company’s side — record their arguments.
- Find out how management defends their decisions – get the company’s answer in writing.
- Don’t try to prove that the company has done wrong; make them prove that what they have done is right.
- Be firm without being discourteous; don’t lose or temper; don’t go see the manager when you are mad; don’t be timid or apologetic either – it’s your job to fight for the member’s rights.
- No deals; no horse-trading; don’t get sidetracked – each grievance stands on its own merits.
- Keep your member(s) informed at every stage.
- Be honest with your members.
- Discourage your membership from processing their own grievances and never settle privately with management.
- Be a good speaker and a good listener, both with management and with the membership.
- Be a good winner and a good loser. Use the experience as a learning tool to better prepare yourself for the next time.
Before you see the manager, ASK yourself the following questions:
- Do I have all the facts from the worker?
- Is there other information that I need? (e.g. from witnesses)
- Have I checked all the facts by looking around the establishment, checking the seniority and other lists, talking to other Stewards and union officers?
- Have I carefully checked the collective agreement and labour legislation?
- Have I made a clear record of all the facts gathered on the Fact Sheet?
- Have I explained the case to the worker(s) involved?