Page 22 - UFCW Union Steward Handbook

SOLVING WORKSITE PROBLEMS

Writing Grievances: Three Easy Steps
The key to writing a grievance is to keep it simple. Almost every
grievance contains just three key elements:

l What happened (what did
management do or not do to cause
the grievance)?
l Why is it a grievance?

l What does our union want
management to do to solve the
problem?

These three questions can almost
always be answered using just three
short sentences:

First Sentence: What happened?
What did management do (or fail to
do) to cause the grievance, and when and/or where did they do it?
Example: On or about May 1, 2013, management unjustly reprimanded
Ms. Jane Hardworker.
Second Sentence: Why is it a grievance?

What part of the contract (or law, policy, past practice, etc.) did
management violate?

Example: This violates Article IV, Section 9, and all other relevant
Articles of the contract.*
Third Sentence: What do we want?
What remedy is our union seeking? What do you want management to
do to fix the situation?
Example: Our union demands that management immediately revoke the
reprimand, remove all references to the discipline from Ms. Hardworker’s
record, and make her whole in every other way.*
*These catch-all phrases are important to write, as they will insure
that all articles of the contract, and all possible remedies, are
included.

20 UFCW UNION STEWARD HANDBOOK