Labor Relations Fundamentals for Community College Districts

 Write a written response to the grievant, explaining your decision in detail



Explain your position orally



Explain, in writing, the employee’s right to appeal

 Adhere to time limits and confirm any extensions in writing

 Even if the grievance procedure requires that the employer hear the grievance on substantive issues while reserving its position on procedural issues, assert the district’s position regarding procedural defects, in writing. This will preserve the district’s ability to assert procedural issues and potentially prevail at the final step in the grievance procedure.

7. F OLLOW U P



Make sure any action you promised was carried out



Know your employees and their interests



Once a decision is made, stick to it

 Provide notice to all employees in the department or division when appropriate

 If you have done all of the above, expect management’s support

 Create an orderly grievance record for review at the next step, if appealed

G. I MPORTANT F OLLOW -U P S TEPS A FTER THE G RIEVANCE M EETING It is crucial to take good notes during the grievance meeting, and immediately following it, to make an accurate and complete record of the grievance. These documents can be of great assistance in preparing for an appeal hearing. At the same time, remember that they may be discoverable (i.e., seen by others in the event of a lawsuit). This presents all the more need for precision and accuracy, and for making the record as close in time to the occurrence of the meeting as possible. The supervisor should keep both the meeting notes and the grievance record. The Human Resources department should receive a copy of the grievance file. H. T HE W RITTEN R ESPONSE TO THE G RIEVANT After the first or second step of the process, as specified in the grievance procedure, management prepares a written response to the grievance. The response establishes the district’s formal position on the grievance. The more accurate and precise the analysis is, the easier the response will be to defend in the event of an appeal. Reliance on a detailed, written grievance response in an appeal hearing is far preferable over the supervisor’s verbal recollection of the grievance that may or may not constitute an accurate reflection of the facts.

It is important that the Human Resources department review all grievance responses to ensure consistency and completeness.

Labor Relations Fundamentals for Community College Districts © 2019 (c) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore 37