Tips and guides on investigating and preparing grievances, defending yourself against management, and using information and workers’ legal rights to beat the boss.

• Grievance Basics  

  Hey! The Boss Is Calling Me Into the Office
  In many workplaces, harassment on the shop floor is backed up by the threat of being written up or sent into the office.

  Tips for Writing Grievances
   Writing an effective grievance is the first step to winning and the foundation for your case. Avoid common mistakes with these Teamster Grievance Writing Tips.

  Investigating Grievances
  A winning grievance starts with a good investigation. If you don’t have your facts straight, management will shoot down your case.

  Defend Yourself With Information From Your Boss
  Using your union's legal right to acquire information from the employer can help you defend your rights and win grievances and arbitration.

  The Grievance Meeting: How to Present a Grievance to Management
  The first stages of filing a grievance can be the most important, no matter what kind of grievance procedure your contract contains.

  Teamster Grievance Quiz
  Do you have what it takes to turn a workplace problem into a winning grievance?

  Filing NLRB Charges: A Tool for Rights But No Quick Fix
  One of the main laws that protect the union rights of workers in the U.S. is the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). It applies to most private sector workers.

• Disciplinary Cases  

  Hey! The Boss Is Calling Me Into the Office
  In many workplaces, harassment on the shop floor is backed up by the threat of being written up or sent into the office.

  Dealing with Discipline for Absenteeism
  When it comes to defending members, write-ups for absenteeism is one of the most common problems stewards have to deal with.

  Using 'Just Cause' to Win Grievances
  Understanding 'Just Cause' can help protect Teamsters from discipline or discharge.

  The Seven Tests for Just Cause
  Most Teamster contracts protect workers from termination except for “just cause.”

  Steward's Corner: Last Chance Agreements
  What should a fired member do if management offers them a “Last Chance Agreement” as a condition for getting their job back?

• Management Tactics  

  Hey! The Boss Is Calling Me Into the Office
  In many workplaces, harassment on the shop floor is backed up by the threat of being written up or sent into the office.

  The Grievance Meeting: How to Present a Grievance to Management
  The first stages of filing a grievance can be the most important, no matter what kind of grievance procedure your contract contains.

  Beating Management at the Grievance Game
  How to protect members and enforce the contract when management is trying to derail the grievance procedure.

  Dealing with Difficult Supervisors
  Supervisors have different strategies to try to put stewards off, trip you up or get around the contract. There's no one-size-fits-all strategy for dealing with difficult supervisors. But being prepared can help you feel more confident, be more effective and avoid getting caught off guard.

• Contract Cases  

  Investigating Grievances
  A winning grievance starts with a good investigation. If you don’t have your facts straight, management will shoot down your case.

  Defend Yourself With Information From Your Boss
  Using your union's legal right to acquire information from the employer can help you defend your rights and win grievances and arbitration.

  How to Think Like an Arbitrator
  Thinking like an arbitrator will help you win your contract language grievances even if you don’t go to arbitration.

• FMLA  

  Your Rights Under the FMLA
  Management often gives workers a hard time when we ask for a leave to take care of our medical needs or our families.

  New FMLA Rules May Bar Employers From Burning Vacation Leave
  What is the most disliked rule in the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? Undoubtedly, the provision that allows employers to substitute workers’ vacation leaves during FMLA absences.

  Protect Yourself with Intermittent Leave
  Warehouse jobs are brutal. Production standards and mandatory overtime take a toll on our bodies.

  Labor Department Tightens FMLA Restrictions
  Just four days before George Bush left office, the Department of Labor put new regulations for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) into effect.

• Stewards Rights  

  Defend Yourself With Information From Your Boss
  February 1, 2013: Using your union's legal right to acquire information from the employer can help you defend your rights and win grievances and arbitration.