They might view sitting down with you to discuss issues as ceding over some of the little power that they have. They may also not be in the position to resolve issues informally. Usually, these are the same supervisors who must call Labor Relations to get an answer on your first step grievance. And then there are supervisors who are hostile to any kind of reasonable request. But there is still a strong case for an informal discussion with management on workplace issues.
Some Unions integrate a pre-grievance meeting prior to step one.
If the two sides cannot resolve the issue, it is then reduced to a written grievance and presented at an official grievance hearing. If we can begin to meet and discuss, we can also begin to carve out areas where we can successfully resolve bargaining issues. And by doing so we can spend more of our time on other key steward roles such as organizing and political action. Copyright 1999 Transit Employees Association of Texas.