Grievances Never Paid - Brown Cafe

StaticMatt · 07-06-2007, 01:18 PM

Hi, I've been checking the site for a couple months now (love it by the way) and have had a problem and was wondering if you guys could help me out. Sorry for such a long first post.

Ever since Oct 2006, I have been filing grievances, mainly on supervisors stealing my work, which is sorting. I have never received a single cent from any of these grievances and it just keeps on building. Last time I totaled all the grievances I've turned in the past 9 months, it came out to about 65 OT hours, well over $1000 for me.

No grievances were ever getting settled during peak season, something I figured would happen, and eventually they were sent to Panel around Jan or Feb 2007. Supposedly we "won" at Panel, yet we never saw any checks. After much badgering to the shop stewards they said we won 50%, meaning I would get half of all that was owed to me. This was kind of a let down seeing as they said we "won", but it wasn't that big of a deal.

I noticed, and so did some other hourlies that filed grievances, that the shop stewards turned into pussies while waiting for their checks. They stopped filing and pretty much stopped being shop stewards. They never had grievances for anyone, nor would they get them when they said they would, and they would never talk to the supervisors or managers about issues I or anyone else had.

Well, this was around Feb like I said and I still have not ever gotten anything, while both shop stewards I talk to regularly got their checks around March or April. I have been pressuring our hub manager every time I see him, who only says he'll get on it when he gets a chance (I take that as he isn't going to do anything seeing as he's told me those exact words for the past 3 months), along with the shop stewards to ask where MY check is and even the shop stewards give me the run around, "I'll look into it for you."

I was wondering if there is anything I could do to get the money that is owed to me? Only thing I can think of is calling a lawyer. Thanks much for any and all suggestions.

scratch · 07-06-2007, 04:22 PM

I would go to your Local and talk to your Business Agent. It sounds like your stewards aren't doing their job, remember that next election time. Sometimes its hard to get good stewards. Its a difficult job that most people don't want to take on. I know I wouldn't want to do it.

705red · 07-06-2007, 04:29 PM

Call your local and speak to the agent like scratch said. Did you say your stewards got paid for those grievances. I sure hope they didnt, their job should be to spread that money around to get more of you involved in filing to make their jobs easier. Now if they were directly effected then they might have some monies coming, but it sounds like to me, your stewards got paid instead of you, just a hunch but i have seen it happen. It should take no more than 10 working days to get paid for grievances especially if it was resolved at your local panel. Demand answers from your stewards! If you dont like their answers you could bring them up on charges.

StaticMatt · 07-06-2007, 07:22 PM

Thanks for the input. Yeah, I've been thinking they weren't doing what they should have been and they did indeed get checks while I never did. One steward got over $3500. He showed me his check and tried to brag to me about it "Yeah this how you know I file." I almost wanted to punch him because like I said earlier, he pretty much stopped being a steward while he was waiting for his check, and even afterwards.

I'll be sure to talk my BA on Monday. Is the BA in Human Resources?

How often are the steward elections? I never hear anything about them and want to make sure I'm there for the next one.
Thanks guys

tieguy · 07-06-2007, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StaticMatt

Hi, I've been checking the site for a couple months now (love it by the way) and have had a problem and was wondering if you guys could help me out. Sorry for such a long first post.

Ever since Oct 2006, I have been filing grievances, mainly on supervisors stealing my work, which is sorting. I have never received a single cent from any of these grievances and it just keeps on building. Last time I totaled all the grievances I've turned in the past 9 months, it came out to about 65 OT hours, well over $1000 for me.

No grievances were ever getting settled during peak season, something I figured would happen, and eventually they were sent to Panel around Jan or Feb 2007. Supposedly we "won" at Panel, yet we never saw any checks. After much badgering to the shop stewards they said we won 50%, meaning I would get half of all that was owed to me. This was kind of a let down seeing as they said we "won", but it wasn't that big of a deal.

I noticed, and so did some other hourlies that filed grievances, that the shop stewards turned into pussies while waiting for their checks. They stopped filing and pretty much stopped being shop stewards. They never had grievances for anyone, nor would they get them when they said they would, and they would never talk to the supervisors or managers about issues I or anyone else had.

Well, this was around Feb like I said and I still have not ever gotten anything, while both shop stewards I talk to regularly got their checks around March or April. I have been pressuring our hub manager every time I see him, who only says he'll get on it when he gets a chance (I take that as he isn't going to do anything seeing as he's told me those exact words for the past 3 months), along with the shop stewards to ask where MY check is and even the shop stewards give me the run around, "I'll look into it for you."

I was wondering if there is anything I could do to get the money that is owed to me? Only thing I can think of is calling a lawyer. Thanks much for any and all suggestions.

Sounds like your shop stewards collected the entire grievance amount. Your hub manager will not have anything to do with issuing the checks once a case has been heard at the panel. Talking to him is a waste of time. Your BA should have the settlement info and know who got paid what.

705red · 07-06-2007, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StaticMatt

Thanks for the input. Yeah, I've been thinking they weren't doing what they should have been and they did indeed get checks while I never did. One steward got over $3500. He showed me his check and tried to brag to me about it "Yeah this how you know I file." I almost wanted to punch him because like I said earlier, he pretty much stopped being a steward while he was waiting for his check, and even afterwards.

I'll be sure to talk my BA on Monday. Is the BA in Human Resources?

How often are the steward elections? I never hear anything about them and want to make sure I'm there for the next one.
Thanks guys

Your ba would be at the union hall. Did you ever get copies of the grievances you filed? Elactions should be roughly every 3 years, go for it and run against him. Dont forget to tell everyone that he files your grievances and gets paid your cash, see who wins then!

over9five · 07-06-2007, 07:34 PM

"Sounds like your shop stewards collected the entire grievance amount."

Oh my God, that is so dirty. If that's true, spread it around. His days as steward will be OVER. (Make sure you talk to the BA.)

StaticMatt · 07-06-2007, 07:58 PM

Thanks for the info, although it seems to be bad news for me. I got my BA's number so I'll give him a call on Monday and ask him if he knows where my money went, and why. Yeah I got all my copies, including some of the stewards copies (he just left them attached because he said he's lost copies before) If it turns out that the steward(s) did indeed get my money, it definitely will not go unheard, although I hope that is not the case.

I'll let you guys know how it goes next week.

Edit: Yeah I figured the hub manager wouldn't be able to do anything, seeing as he hasn't done anything over the past few months. He found one of my checks that UPS somehow lost a couple months back so I thought he might be able to do it again.