Your Workplace Rights
UNW members have the right to promote and build our union in the workplace.
Members have the right to be kept informed on the employer's premises during non-work time, before or after shifts and during paid or unpaid breaks and lunch periods. This is the law.
If management interferes with the rights of members or discourages them from participating in our union in any way, stewards must take action.
The Grievance Process
The grievance and arbitration process is central to the overall relationship between management and unions in Canada. This process provides the framework for regulating grievances and disputes in the workplace.
Since the collective agreement is basically an employment contract between the employer and a group of employees, a grievance can be viewed as an allegation that a breach of contract has occurred.
Grievances are filed by the union on behalf of its members. Most of the grievances filed by unions are filed on behalf of individual employees (individual grievances) or on behalf of a group of employees (group grievances). A third type of grievance is the policy grievance which deals with issues that affect all employees.
Grievances are dealt with according to a standard procedure which seeks to solve the issue in the early stages. Under the terms of the applicable collective agreement, grievances which cannot be resolved are successively referred to higher levels of authority before being submitted to Arbitration.
Do you need to file a grievance?
Should you feel you have grounds for a grievance, contact your Shop Steward. They can help you interpret your contract, seek advice from Service Officers, and begin the grievance process if necessary.
If you need assistance with the grievance process, please contact your Shop Steward or the UNW Service Department.
Additionally, the UNW wants to track the grievances and employer interference with your rights. If you are having trouble at work and are unsure if you should be filing a grievance, please complete the following intake form:
NOTE: submitting the form below does NOT mean you are filing a grievance. A UNW representative will contact you to discuss your issue and work with you to identify next steps.