Submitting a written grievance gets the Union a meeting with a management within a specified period of time, to discuss and negotiate a possible resolution to a specific issue. If the grievance is not resolved at this meeting or if the meeting does not take place on time, the union can submit the grievance to the manager who is responsible for the next level of the grievance procedure. If the Union cannot resolve the issue at 2nd step then it shall be heard by the company Labor representative.
If the problem is not resolved to the satisfaction of the union by anyone in management or Labor, the union has the right to submit the case to District for arbitration request. The decision to go to arbitration will not be made lightly. It will depend on such things as importance of the issue (problem), severity of the case, cost, and chances of winning.
Whenever we let an employer violate the contract without challenging, we are weakening the contract for all members. It sends a message that we will not enforce the contract. When we file grievances, we let employers know that we take the contract seriously and we will make them take it seriously, too. Sometimes, just knowing union members will enforce their rights acts as a deterrent, and management will think twice before violating the contract.