Labor Relations Fundamentals for Community College Districts

T ABLE OF C ONTENTS

6-19 ( C )

S ECTION 1 Overview .......................................................................................................................................................................8

S ECTION 2 Protected Union Activity and Organizing .....................................................................................................................9 A. Achieving Majority Support............................................................................................................................9 B. Request for Recognition ................................................................................................................................10 C. Permissible vs. Unlawful Activity During Organizing..................................................................................11 1. Union’s Right to Communicate with Employees...................................................................................11 2. Employees’ Right to Engage in Concerted Activity ..............................................................................12 3. Conduct of Supervisors ..........................................................................................................................13 D. Union and Employee Rights after Representation Is Certified......................................................................15 1. Union's Right to Communicate and Meet with Employees....................................................................15 2. Union Representation In Meetings With Management ..........................................................................17 3. Rights Related to Speech .......................................................................................................................17 4. Right to be Free from Surveillance of Union Activity ...........................................................................19 5. Right to Information...............................................................................................................................19 6. Right to Engage in Concerted Activity .....................................................................................................19 E. Union Responsibilities ..................................................................................................................................20 1. Union’s Duty of Fair Representation .....................................................................................................20 2. Prohibited Conduct and Unprotected Activity .......................................................................................20 S ECTION 3 Management Rights Doctrine ......................................................................................................................................20 A. The First Line Supervisor’s Role ..................................................................................................................20 B. Management Rights in Community Colleges................................................................................................21 C. Theory of Management Reserved Rights ......................................................................................................21 D. Restrictions on Management Rights..............................................................................................................23 S ECTION 4 An Employee’s Right to Representation .....................................................................................................................24 A. Representation in an Investigatory Interview ( Weingarten Rights) ..............................................................24 B. Representation in a Grievance Meeting ........................................................................................................25 C. Representation in an Interactive Process Meeting.........................................................................................25 S ECTION 5 Labor Negotiations and the First-Line Supervisor.......................................................................................................26 A. The Labor Negotiations Process....................................................................................................................26 B. Enforcing the Labor Agreement: First-Line Supervisors ..............................................................................27 1. Understanding the Labor Agreement .....................................................................................................27 2. Applying the Labor Agreement .............................................................................................................29 S ECTION 6 The Grievance Process ................................................................................................................................................31 A. What Is a Grievance? ....................................................................................................................................31 B. What Is a Grievance Procedure? ...................................................................................................................31 C. Grievance Procedures Require Support and Commitment to Be Successful.................................................32 D. Checklist: How to Avoid Grievances ............................................................................................................33 1. Know the Collective Bargaining Agreement .........................................................................................33 2. Maintain a Positive Working Relationship with Union Representatives, Shop Stewards and Business Agents .....................................................................................................................................33

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