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CSEA CONNECTION by Saodat Aziskhanova, CSEA President |
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Don’t Waive Your Rights Educating staff about our Union contract is the topic of my article. The more classified employees know about their rights, the better they are able to enforce them. Since I became President of our chapter, I have had many questions from you addressing our contract. Even long-time union members are confused about what the contract means—especially if they never “used” the section in question. The most obvious way to educate ourselves about the contract is informing classified staff about the rights our contract guarantees. We should not forget the benefits too. Raises, health care, professional growth and other benefits negotiated into our contract are just as important. Sharing this information will help staff to learn their rights and also increase the consistency in contract application throughout the college. One of the most basic rights a union member has is the right to union representation in matters relating to discipline, reprimand or dismissal. Be sure to know your rights—before trouble starts. If your supervisor schedules or calls you into a meeting, you might have a reason to have your union representative present. CSEA representation is not automatic—you must ask for it. Your supervisor does not have to advise you of your rights. You have the right to know the purpose of the meeting. If you think the meeting might lead to discipline, you have the right to have a CSEA representative present. Do not refuse to attend the meeting, but immediately notify me, Chapter President; our Labor Representative, Matthew Gentile; Grievance chair, Merrilee Ahaus; or job stewards Samir Abou–Rass or Maria Shufeldt of your meeting with your supervisor. During a meeting scheduled for another purpose but which turns “disciplinary,” you should request that the meeting be immediately terminated and rescheduled to a time when a CSEA representative can be present. Management must stop the meeting or reschedule until a CSEA representative is present; failure to do so constitutes an unfair labor practice and is illegal. If the supervisor denies your request for union representation and insists on continuing the meeting, you have the right to refuse to answer any questions that could be used against you. Do not walk out on the meeting; contact a CSEA representative afterward. Failure to request representation might cause an arbitrator to rule that your rights were not violated, so it is very important that you contact a union official to preserve your rights. & |
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