Disputes in a Unionized Workplace

Disputes in a Unionized Workplace

The next step that follows the formal grievance is a hearing. The management holds a meeting that Jocko, as the compliant, should attend. The grievance is managed in confidentiality whenever possible. Jocko should attend the meetings because they provide an opportunity to listen to him and examine any evidence. If necessary, investigations may be conducted before decision-making. The union worker representing Jocko must speak on his behalf and provide solid and valid arguments (SHRM, 2021). If Jocko and the management cannot resolve the grievance, Jocko can appeal to the human resource manager or any other top hierarchy manager. The lack of resolution will lead to continuous escalation of the issue involving top-level managers with the organization and the union. In a worst-case scenario, the grievance will require an external arbitrator to resolve (The Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union, n.d). The leaders of the organization and those representing

Steps of Grievance Resolution

If Jocko files the grievance, various steps are expected to follow. The escalation process begins once the immediate supervisor fails to address the issue. The union worker representatives are involved when the submission is made in writing based on the organization’s requirements. The supervisor and union representative review the grievance to determine its validity. If the grievance is valid, a resolution is the next objective. If the employee, in this case, Jocko, is not satisfied with the resolution, the dispute is escalated further to involve higher members of the organizational and union hierarchy (The Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union, n.d).

Plan of Action

The initial step is an informal resolution with the immediate supervisor. Employees in a unionized workplace are encouraged to involve their immediate supervisor, who could help resolve the grievance (Hentze & Tyus, 2021). If the supervisors are unwilling or incapable of facilitating resolution, the employees can involve the union representative or higher-level managers. The presentation of evidence and investigation results to the members of the ongoing meetings is essential in resolving the grievance.

As an HR manager at the warehouse, I would examine the other employees who work with Jocko. This process of investigation would help establish if Jocko’s complaints were valid. I would also examine the supervisor to establish whether he knows the occurrence. If he were aware, I would be required to know the supervisor’s action to rectify the situation and ensure that Jocko and his colleagues are working as a team (Insureon, 2021). If the manager has not taken any action to remedy the situation, I would raise a complaint with their reporting manager to establish whether the supervisor acted according to the company policies. In addition, I would examine Jocko’s performance and compare it to his colleagues. Finally, I would monitor the employees for a few days to obtain hard evidence regarding the issue (Federal Trade Commission, 2020).

These steps are necessary because the organization thrives when employees work as a team. The lack of teamwork is detrimental to the organization’s performance. In addition, there could be discrimination among colleagues and even from the supervisor. His reluctance to assist Jocko with his issue because of his sexual orientation could be fueled by discriminative tendencies. Furthermore, the keen attention that the supervisor displays when tracking Jocko’s performance whenever he does not meet expectations is malicious (SHRM, 2021). The lack of support from the supervisor does not abide by the law and could lead to litigations that could cost the company resources and time. Most importantly, addressing the grievance makes Jocko feel like he belongs to the organization.

References

Federal Trade Commission. (2020). Protections Against Discrimination and Other Prohibited Practices. Retrieved from Federal Trade Commission: https://www.ftc.gov/site-information/no-fear-act/protections-against-discrimination

Hentze, I., & Tyus, R. (2021). Sex and Gender Discrimination in the Workplace. Retrieved from National Conference of State Legislatures: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/-gender-and-sex-discrimination.aspx

Insureon. (2021). Employment discrimination lawsuits: Case studies.

SHRM. (2021). What are the steps typically found in a grievance procedure?

The Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union. (n.d). Unions and the Grievance Procedure.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Disputes in a Unionized Workplace

LABOR RELATIONS LAWS
Disputes in a unionized workplace

Before starting this assignment, be sure you have read the background readings for this module.

Read the following scenario:

Jocko and Thomas are hourly employees working as forklift drivers in a large grocery chain’s central California warehouse. Their workplace is unionized. They work in the same warehouse section under Bert, the second shift supervisor.

Jocko has always found the job challenging because the job was fast-paced but repetitive, and even though the forklifts and machines do the heavy lifting and moving, there were situations in which a driver had to deal with slightly misplaced pallets or otherwise use ingenuity and “muscle” to keep things moving smoothly through the shift. Jocko was small in stature and not as physically strong as his co-workers. Thomas made a point of never helping Jocko with these adjustments, even though he helped other drivers when such situations arose. Jocko was gay, and he thought Thomas resented having him there – Thomas never seemed to want to talk with Jocko on breaks, for example.

Jocko thought Thomas was the wrong colleague, mainly when Jocko could have used Thomas’s help. Jocko mentioned to Bert, the supervisor, that he wished Thomas would help him occasionally. After all, he would be willing to help Thomas if he asked. Bert replied that he did not think that was going to happen.

It was not only Thomas who would never help Jocko. All the other forklift drivers seemed to look the other way when Jocko found himself in a situation where “muscle” was needed to keep things going.

Recently, the company implemented a new stacking protocol. Soon after, Jocko was not meeting his production numbers on some days. He thought it was because he could not get help from his colleagues when needed, and his supervisor, Bert, did not seem to care.

Bert, his supervisor, carefully recorded Jocko’s production numbers to highlight the shifts when he had underperformed. After a while, Jocko started skipping breaks and shortening his lunch break on some days to spend more time on the forklift and try to meet his production for the shift. No one seemed to care or notice.

As Jocko realized he would get a lousy performance review if the situation continued, he asked Bert if he could order his co-workers to help him when he needed help. Bert said he could not give Jocko any special treatment.

Jocko grew more frustrated, especially by the lack of communication and what he considered to be the stubbornness of his co-workers in refusing to help him when he needed it. He reasoned that he had a family to feed, just as they did, and he had to do something about the unfair treatment he was receiving.

Jocko told Bert that he would tell the union that he wanted to file a grievance because he thought his treatment was incorrect.

Bert told Jocko that he’d never known a grievance to work out for the person who filed it, but Jocko should do what he thought he needed.

Jocko felt very upset about what he perceived as Bert’s indifference. He filed a formal grievance with the union about the situation.

Prepare a 2page (not counting title and reference pages) paper that addresses the following:

What do you think will happen next? Why?
Discuss the critical steps in a grievance process that might take place to resolve this issue if Jocko files a grievance.
Discuss a plan of action to resolve an employee conflict in a unionized workplace.

If you were the HR manager in this warehouse, what would you do to get to the root of the issue? Why?
Use at least two Trident Online Library sources plus applicable background readings to help strengthen your discussion.