Lik

Given that you work in a unionized environment, you must have a CBA somewhere, right? Read up on the rules yourself, and be ready to ask your union steward for clarification. Don't forget that if you disagree with what your steward says, you can also grieve the decision and have the case taken to the higher up.

But be mindful of how your relationship with the old fart coworker will go. But if the senior old fart is doing this to you first, I don't see any reason why you can't play by the book either.

-Lik

Lik

Nam's suggestion of getting HR (as well as the union steward) involved is certainly a good one, but I am not sure if it would be wise to go to the union chair right away. I would assume that the union chair will simply delegate or refer you back to the shop steward as the first step, and you'd only get to him (the union chair) as the case escalates.

I think the senior staff is thinking that her "day off" is part of the shift schedule, and thus the seniority rules apply. Depending on how shifts are assigned at your work place, she may or may not be correct in her thinking. It would kind of depend on how your manager and your union rep interpret the rule la.

-Lik

Lik

Sigh... I hope things go well for you la. And don't forget, if you are not happy with the ruling, make sure you grieve it. That is how the game is played, and there is nothing wrong with standing up for your rights, esp when what you do is entirely within the rules.

-Lik

Lik

First of all, I would try contacting the union rep again (but in writing, say email), and get him to put his words in writing. Additional, I would also ask for clarification on what your options are should you want to proceed further. As your union representation, even though his explanation might be unsatisfactory to you, he is still obligated to provide you with the information you need to proceed further.

If you are still looking to escalate the issue, I think the next step beyond your union rep / shop steward is the union chair at your workplace. You can bring the issue directly to his attention, mentioning that you have already discussed the matter with your union rep. You might also want to get him to put something in writing -- again, I think email might be easier to solicit than something written on paper.

After that, if the informal resolutions aren't working, I think the next step is filing a formal complain. If an official ruling comes back and you are still unsatisfied, I think you can still file for grievance on the ruling and have a tribunal look at the issue. But beyond the filing of a formal complain, I think the specific rules and procedures would depend on the CBA or the union.

One unfortunate reality is, when your union rep doesn't agree with your view, there is a good chance that it'll turn into a long and drawn out ordeal. Coworkers related or unrelated to the incident might also start taking sides (although the smart ones will stand clear of the issue), and your relationship with the coworker in question will very likely deteriorate regardless of how the issue plays out. So you have to consider whether escalation is worth your trouble and the consequences.

Good luck with your decision la.

-Lik

Lik

It's a good that the she will send you something in writing. Should you decide to proceed further with your complaint, the stuff written in black and white will likely carrry more weight than anything she said.

Keep us posted, and I wish you good luck la.

-Lik

Lik

I don't know exactly how your union is gonna interpret this, but I see how the union rep is trying to spin this -- she is trying to spin this matter into "more senior staff gets first pick in shifts", and by extension of priority shift picking, that also determines when the senior staff's vacation days are.

There is certainly logic behind that line of reasoning. IIRC, you were saying that previously, work hours were picked as a single, entire 40-hour block. Should you choose to continue fighting it, I think you should focus on this past, long standing practice of picking an entire 40-hour block and use it to dispute the union rep's past practice claim.

But if the union ruling determines that shift picking doesn't necessarily mean choosing single batch block of hours, then I think you'd be more or less out of luck.

-Lik