Grievance Handling

A Filing System is More Than an Archive of Old Grievances

At this point we hope you have taken our advice and are making sure each grievance has its own unique filing number and that all of the information necessary to handle each grievance is kept in its own folder. For large files, the folder should include an index listing all of the documents in the folder. As you add documents, add them to this list.

The grievance log is a document used to track all grievances you have investigated during the life of the agreement. Just as the index helps you see at a glance what documents are in the folder for any single grievance, the grievance log gives you a quick overall picture of how many grievances have been filed, how often, what departments, what supervisors, what issues, and how grievances tend to get resolved.

Grievance logs can be customized to contain whatever information you think is important to track. Copies of the grievance log can be distributed on a regular basis to stewards and committee people to help them see any new trends that are developing. Grievance logs are also valuable for keeping members informed of their grievances as they move through the process.