Role and Functions of the Grievance Committee of SMUFU

1. Composition of the Grievance Committee:

a. One faculty member from the Faculties of Arts, Science and Commerce and a representative of the Professional Librarians. Grievance Committee members and alternates (from each group) will be selected annually by the Executive Committee of SMUFU.

b. The Chair of the Grievance Committee will normally be the designated Grievance Officer of SMUFU.

c. The President of SMUFU or his or her designate shall be a voting member of the Grievance Committee.

d. The Grievance Officer, as Chair of the Grievance Committee, shall be an ex officio (non voting) member of the SMUFU Executive.

a. Members of the Grievance Committee will receive training in the role of grievance officers. This training should include regular attendance at the annual conference of grievance officers hosted by CAUT and by attendance at the training programs offered by CAUT.

b. Alternates on the grievance committee should, if possible, work with the members of Grievance Committee to learn the process of handling grievances.

a. Chair of the Grievance Committee

b. A copy of all grievances shall be provided in a timely fashion to the Grievance Officer. Once received, the Grievance Officer shall be responsible for the distribution of a copy of the grievance to the other members of the Grievance Committee.

c. With the approval of the majority of the Committee, the Grievance Officer shall either investigate the grievance or designate one of the members of the Grievance Committee (or an alternate) to investigate the grievance. Normally, the person investigating the grievance will not be in the same faculty as the grievor.

a. The duty of SMUFU and its Grievance Committee is to provide fair representation for all of its members.

b. At all stages in the handing of a potential grievance, the Grievance Committee and members of the Executive of SMUFU undertake to maintain a policy of confidentiality as stated in the CAUT "Policy Statement on Confidentiality in the Grievance Process".

c. The Committee member appointed to investigate a potential grievance shall investigate the grievance and report the results of the investigation to the Grievance Committee, along with a recommendation as to whether a grievance should be filed by the Union.

d. An investigation into the merits of a potential grievance or submitted grievance requires the Grievance Committee, the Executive, and the Union to investigate and assess the grievance fairly, without discrimination, and in a non arbitrary fashion. Depending on the circumstances and seriousness of the grievance, the investigation shall include:

i. At least one meeting with the aggrieved member to determine all of the relevant facts and secure all relevant documentation. The investigating Grievance Committee member shall interview or attempt to interview any relevant witnesses to the facts of the grievance.

ii. During the course of the investigation, the investigator will maintain careful notes of interviews with the aggrieved member and relevant witnesses.

a. Upon completion of the investigation, the investigating member shall report to the Grievance Committee. The Grievance Committee will review the potential grievance file and recommend to the Executive of SMUFU whether a formal grievance should be submitted under the terms of the SMUFU Collective Agreement. The final determination about formal submission of the grievance shall be by the Executive of SMUFU. If the Executive of SMUFU has not determined whether a formal grievance shall be submitted, the Chair of the Grievance Committee has the authority to file a grievance if, in his or her opinion, the Executive of SMUFU may not provide a determination on submission of a formal grievance before the relevant time limitations under the Collective Agreement expire.

b. If the Executive of SMUFU decides not to proceed with the filing of a grievance, or the continuation a a grievance that has been filed, the Executive shall advise the aggrieved member of its decision as soon as possible. The aggrieved member shall have 10 working days after notification of the negative decision within which to appeal the decision of the Executive of SMUFU to an advisory panel of three past-Presidents of SMUFU. The advisory panel shall review the Grievance Committee file and provide a recommendation to the Executive of SMUFU. In any event, the Chair of the Grievance Committee shall have the authority to submit a formal grievance during any appeal process to meet any relevant time limitations in the Collective Agreement to protect the validity of the grievance.

Grievance Officer Fact Sheet

A. Who is complaining or grieving?

a. Name
b. Department
c. Phone
d. E-Mail
e. Faculty
f. Home address and telephone
g. Name of Dean and Chairperson

C. Dates of Event or Acts of Omission

D. Place of Event

E. Relevant Clauses in the collective agreement which apply to the event or act of omission.

F. List of all interviews with date and times. Notes from all interviews will become part of the official file.

G. List of all relevant documentation in the official file of the complaint/grievance

Signature of the Grievance Officer

Signature of the Grievor

Date

Recommendation to SMUFU Executive

Grievance Accepted or not by SMUFU Executive

© 2000, Saint Mary's University Faculty Union. Contact Karen Crowell for comments and suggestions. Reviewed: .