Purpose and Porpoise

Welcome to the Grievance part of the website, a subject that has (unintentionally) been shrouded in mystery.

In this part of the website we will share information on important grievances, resolutions, and procedures that are going on in our branch. The goal here is to share information on the process, your rights in sticky situations, and de-mystify the whole thing. The last year has been a very busy one for our branch in this department, and while we don’t really know why it is this way, we know there has been a lot of confusion about the grievance procedure and where we’re at with certain issues. Without further ado, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of this post.

What this is.

Firstly and first mostly, this is an education tool to help our members see the sorts of things going on in our branch, receive important information regarding grievances, and to give a resource for the membership to look to when they’re in doubt. Your Union representatives want this section of the website to help guide you when facing adversity to help maintain a professional, respectful workplace. Is it always easy? No way, but it’s always our responsibility to maintain professionalism, even when we disagree with others.

Here we will post information about how to follow procedures, contractual disagreements, and resolutions when they arrive. Not all grievances, or even most, will be posted here individually, this space is more for updates on issues that effect larger aspects of our branch. We won’t be posting any personal information on here, disciplinary cases, or anything like that. Don’t worry, we’re not putting anyone on blast; we want to help facilitate peace of mind with our membership and show you what we’re doing and how we have your back.

What this isn’t.

This is not a place to rabble rouse, point fingers, or otherwise stir up trouble. This is not a place to name call or a pulpit to sling insults. This is a place to educate and learn your rights through our jointly agreed upon Collective Bargaining Agreement. We do not want to cause trouble, we want contractual compliance from everyone, even you. When we all observe our agreements we end up much better for it, and we all are protected within the labyrinthine methods of a multi-billion dollar operation.

If you take anything away from this section, take this with you: even when your rights are being violated it is up to you to be professional, follow the proper procedures, and be beyond reproach in the disagreements we have.

Now to explain the ridiculous title…

There could be some confusion about what this section of the website is for, and that is why we are defining it to set expectations. Education and the protection of your rights is not the same as badmouthing management or encouraging anyone to be disrespectful. Those are very different ways to look at the grievance procedure. We will always choose education, protection, and professionalism, so don’t get it confused. Purpose and Porpoise are similar words, but they do not mean the same thing.

Take care out there, be good, and stay tuned.