Grievances Never Paid

StaticMatt

New Member
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 pusillanimous 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.:censored2:

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

Least Best Moderator
Staff member
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

Browncafe Steward
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

New Member
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 :thumbup1:
 

tieguy

Banned
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 pusillanimous 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.:censored2:

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

Browncafe Steward
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 :thumbup1:
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

Moderator
Staff member
"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

New Member
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.
 
Last edited:

twoweeled

Well-Known Member
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 pusillanimous 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.:censored2:

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.

Well, I guess it's good to know, our local isn't the only one who rarely gets monetary damages ACTUALLY paid. It's usually, the company will not do it again, or the company says they are not going to pay it. It's now the norm, I guess!
 

twoweeled

Well-Known Member
I have a question. In our local for years, shop stewards could not file for monetary damages. The money would go to someone else. We seem to have an on going problem with new rules. Now shop steward can get the monetary awards. Sometimes the awards go to the senior driver, sometimes to the first filed, sometimes to the person affected. Is it customary for shop steward to get monetary awards??

​thanks
 

Richard Harrow

Deplorable.
"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.)

His days as steward being over would be the least of his problems. Stuff like this is how your book gets pulled.
 

PiedmontSteward

RTW-4-Less
I have a question. In our local for years, shop stewards could not file for monetary damages. The money would go to someone else. We seem to have an on going problem with new rules. Now shop steward can get the monetary awards. Sometimes the awards go to the senior driver, sometimes to the first filed, sometimes to the person affected. Is it customary for shop steward to get monetary awards??

​thanks

Typically with a supervisors working grievance, the person that files is the person that gets paid. If two members file on the same infraction (say, a supervisor loading a truck on Tuesday from 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM) then the most senior member is the one that gets paid. If a steward files the grievance and is the most senior person filing, then they should get paid. However, a lot of stewards will ask that the most senior members available get paid as the remedy requested.

Unless specifically requested otherwise in the remedy (ie. two clerks were told to clock out because they couldn't get OT while supervisors finished their work and another employee requests they be paid for the infraction), no members should be getting grievance settlements unless they're actually filing the grievances.
 

Buck Fifty

Well-Known Member
My guys are spoiled. I write most, if not all grievabces at our center. 9.5, 8 hr, sups working, etc. All they have to do is say the word and sign by the X. Drives the labor manager nuts to see same handwriting and language. We have a great communication system here. If you know somthing and you dont want to file,then tell me and i will find someone who wants free money. I spread it around and every once and awhile take a slice. If a steward takes it all, im amazed they havent fired him for being stupid. If your managment is allowing one steward to collect those kind of checks without spreading it around,than they are cheating the contract more than you see and your stewad is overlooking it. Get everyone together and vote him out or yall could take him behind the wood shed.(jk mods). By the way its great to be out of purgatory. ;-) Thanks to all the mods and of course you too cheryl.
 
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