Question: What is a grievance?
Answer: 10.1 of the CEA/CUSD contract page 61, “A grievance is a claim by one or more members of the Unit or the Association of an alleged violation, misinterpretation or inequitable application of the terms, and conditions of this Agreement (contract).”
What does that mean: Your Association and the district have negotiated a contract that each must follow. If at any time you think the district, usually your site administrator, violated the contract contact your CEA representative and review the contract.
Question: Are grievances a bad thing?
Answer: NO! The district would like you to think of grievances as a bad word. A grievance is nothing more than a formal setting to allow both sides to come together and discuss issues or problems. It allows disagreements to be resolved. It is nothing more than a forum to resolve complaints, issues, and disagreements.
What does that mean: The association and the district will at times interpret the contract in different ways. The grievance process allows both sides to present their disagreements in a formal setting. Any member of the unit may at any time present a grievance to the district.
Question: Is there a timeline or a time limit?
Answer: YES! 10.5.11 on page 66 of the contract states, “No grievance shall be valid unless it shall be presented at Level I … or the informal stage … within twenty (20) days after the aggrieved knew of the act or condition and its aggrieving nature that formed the basis of the grievance, if not so presented the grievance will be considered as waived.”
What does that mean: If something happens and you are not sure if it was legal or contractually correct then contact your representative and we can sit down with the site administrator and resolve it and/or we can file a grievance but it must be within 20 days of the occurrence unless that occurrence is ongoing which the time line starts over every day.
Did you know? – 10.6 Right of Representation
10.6.1 When a member of the Unit is required to appear before the Board or the Administration concerning any matter which could adversely affect the member of the Unit’s employment, the member of the Unit’s position, or the member of the Unit’s salary; the member of the Unit shall be entitled to have a representative of the Association present. Further, when a member of the Unit is required to appear before the Board, the member of the Unit will be advised in writing of the reasons for the requirement.
When in doubt set up an informal grievance with your site administrator, CEA President, and your Site Representative or CEA Grievance Committee Member.