What is a grievance?
Article 11 of the Collective Agreement talks about dealing with work-related problems through the Grievance Procedure and Arbitration. A grievance refers to any dispute in the workplace about how the agreement’s specific terms are interpreted, applied, managed, or violated (e.g. unpaid overtime work, sick leave).
As a PSAC 901 member you never have to face the Employer on your own! The Employer allows Union representatives to help employees (TA, TF, GRA, Postdocs) address their complaints. The Union and the University all promise to try their best to solve problems informally and keep everything private.
There are four types of grievances: individual, group, policy, and employer grievances. An individual grievance is when one employee encounters a problem with the Employer. In a group grievance, two or more employees encounter the same, or similar, problem. The Union raises a policy grievance when they disagree with how the Employer follows the agreement. An employer grievance happens when the Employer takes issue with something that the Union has done.
If you encounter any problems or are unsure if the Employer is doing the right thing, contact your departmental steward