Know your union rights!

The best way to ensure the protection of your rights as a lecturer, librarian, archivist, or curator is to know your contract.

Our Grievance Officers and Union Stewards of the Campus Council support and advise union colleagues who are facing potential contract violations, or who have questions about whether their working conditions are contract-compliant.

Contract-enforceable issues can include salary offers, appointment fluctuation, treatment by supervisors, termination without due process, or any number of other issues. All Lecturers, Librarians, Archivists and Curators have the right to union representation at meetings with administration that concern contract issues and/or disciplinary action.

If you suspect that you are facing a potential contract violation, OR if you would like to find out if a workplace issue is something your union colleagues can help with, start by contacting your department’s Union Steward.

Additionally, you can contact your campus grievance officers for more support.

  • Just Cause shifts the burden of proof for discipline to the employer. Just cause is the standard that management must adhere to when disciplining or discharging an employee. It means that in union settings, the employer must have a reason to act in disciplining an employee, and the reason must be just and fair. In non-union workplaces, the employee is an at-will worker and can be disciplined or fired for any reason, or for no reason at all. Specific tests have been generally recognized as defining just cause.

  • You have the right to union representation whenever you have a reasonable belief that discipline could result from something you say in a meeting with management. This handout from AFT-Michigan summarizes your Weingarten rights and what to do.

  • Members have the right to union representation that is fair, non-arbitrary, and carried out in good faith. However, unions have considerable discretion in all grievance situations.

  • Members have the right to all information needed to negotiate and enforce the contract: that is, to file a grievance, take a grievance to arbitration, or negotiate a contract.

Standard Grievance Procedure Chart

Grievance Step

Steward Responsibilities 

CEG Responsibilities

Step One - Initial discussions between employees and supervisors 

Stewards are empowered to move through Step One as they see fit; they should inform the GLAM GC or Lecturer CEG of certain basics for documentation purposes; Investigation 

Support stewards with: 

  • Standardized forms
  • Documentation 
  • Templates 
  • Best practices
  • Examples 

Step Two - Director/Dean 

Contact Lecturer CEG or GLAM GC and request a meeting before Step 2; maintain communication with constituents; maintain calendar and timelines 

Assist with preparation, support, and advising the stewards; maintain calendar and timelines as necessary 

  • Provide recommendations on how to proceed 

Step Three - Director/Dean, Designees of the Provost; Academic HR 

Participate in preparation and information and documentation management. 

Serve as a liaison while coordinating with the Lecturer CEG chair and Contract Administrator or the GLAM GC.

Before Step 3: Formal vote on filing a Step 3 grievance

 

During Step 3 (Lecturers): Lecturer CEG chair coordinates with Contract Administrator who leads step three; close up any information gaps as necessary - the Contract Administrator and this body can make official requests for information 

 

During Step 3 (GLAM): GC leads step three; close up any information gaps as necessary - this body can make official requests for information 

Arbitration (check in with Campus Council if practicable but must be approved by the Union Council)