Grievance Update: Success through the Informal Process

The best grievance is the one that can be avoided.

By Geoff Dueck Thiessen, Regional Director

The best grievance is the one that can be avoided. You can quote me on that. That doesn’t mean grievances are bad, but rather that often they can be solved informally through a conversation.

Example: A member was paid the wrong wage for several months. Once the employer realized it, they have the right to make payroll deductions to correct the error. In this case, there was a communication breakdown, and the employee was unhappy with the amount of deductions. By making a phone call, we learned how the breakdown occurred and connected the employee with the right management person so they could negotiate a more suitable deduction schedule.

One reason issues go unsolved is workers often don’t want to go through with the formal grievance process. But talking things through informally can be just as effective, and can be easier to do for everyone. And if it doesn’t go well, the formal grievance process is still available, so long as it’s filed within the timelines described in the collective agreement.