Sunday, December 5, 2021

When It Comes to Supporting You at Work, the Details Matter

If you have a growing frustration at work, take a moment to think through what exactly the issue is

By Heidi Martens, Representative

Recently, a member working at a school expressed that “nothing ever changes!” at his workplace. Workplace issues fall into a few different categories:

• Violations of the collective agreement

• Workplace health and safety issues

• Issues with the employer’s policies

• Items to raise during negotiations for collective agreement renewal

• General concerns that impact morale, efficiency, consistency, etc. These might relate to the collective agreement indirectly, or not at all.

It’s these last, general concerns that, as a union representative, I hear most often. And they are the most difficult to address. Often, I ask questions back to the employee: “What do you mean? Can you give me some examples? What sort of changes would you be looking for specifically?”

While CLAC is your union, we do not automatically know and understand the concerns you have about your workplace. We are not in the workplace all the time. The same member who told me that he was thinking of finding a new job turned out to be frustrated that management seemed to “hear” complaints but never followed up. He was also frustrated by the lack of clarity in securing a different position.

For CLAC to engage in either of these issues, we need details and examples—and potentially a member willing to join in the conversation with the employer. So, if you have a growing frustration at work, take a moment to think through what exactly the issue is. Write down some examples.

That way, when you bring an issue to us, we will be better prepared to support you!

When It Comes to Supporting You at Work, the Details Matter

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