A resident of Telford, Pennsylvania, Glenn Fulcher serves as vice president and business representative of the Teamsters Local 830. Previously, he was a union shop steward at the Philadelphia Coca Cola plant for 23 years.
Shop stewards are called upon to assist employees when they are filing grievances against management in disciplinary issues. Before going ahead with the grievance, stewards are expected to consider seven keys to ensure just cause for the grievance. They must ask the following questions:
1. Did the employer give proper notice to the employee regarding the matter?
2. Was the rule or managerial order reasonably related to safe and efficient operations of the company or related to proper expectation of the employee?
3. Did the employer properly investigate before administering discipline?
4. Was this investigation conducted fairly?
5. Was there sufficient proof that the employee was guilty of the charge?
6. Does management enforce the same punishment for all employees?
7. Was the penalty reasonable for the wrong-doing?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, the steward and employee may have just cause for the grievance. But if the answer to these questions is yes, then the grievance should be reconsidered.
Shop stewards are called upon to assist employees when they are filing grievances against management in disciplinary issues. Before going ahead with the grievance, stewards are expected to consider seven keys to ensure just cause for the grievance. They must ask the following questions:
1. Did the employer give proper notice to the employee regarding the matter?
2. Was the rule or managerial order reasonably related to safe and efficient operations of the company or related to proper expectation of the employee?
3. Did the employer properly investigate before administering discipline?
4. Was this investigation conducted fairly?
5. Was there sufficient proof that the employee was guilty of the charge?
6. Does management enforce the same punishment for all employees?
7. Was the penalty reasonable for the wrong-doing?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, the steward and employee may have just cause for the grievance. But if the answer to these questions is yes, then the grievance should be reconsidered.