What To Do When Union Officers Screw You

Credit: Art Explosion

Every week, I get calls from Local 241 and Local 308 members who have been disrespected or unfairly represented by union officers. Although these incidents can break our morale and make us angry, we need to embrace and redirect that anger into action.

When you are wronged by an officer, there are many things you can do to correct the problem. But doing NOTHING is not an option. When you do nothing, you actually contribute to the corruption—and become part of the problem.

 

Not all officers are tyrants or irresponsible. Some truly care about serving us. However, many are following the unwritten rules of Business Unionism and are compromised. This is wrong. They must be held accountable by the members. 

 

Here are some tips that can help:

 

1. Learn all about your Rights as a union member (https://uniondemocracy.org/legal-rights-and-organizing/). That includes your rights to hold officers accountable!
    
2. Tell them they are wrong and what they must do to be in your good graces in writing. Use their email address and CC the president. At the Justice Coalition website, there are links for 241/308 Contacts (http://www.chicagotransitworker.com/rights.html). If the president is the problem, CC the International President (officeofthepresident@atu.org).
   
   
3. Submit an Official ATU Local 308 Complaint Form. Download and print it here: https://www.scribd.com/document/570305267/Local-308-Complaint-Form Check off "Wronged" and write what happened and what you want done.
   
   
4. Talk with coworkers who have had similar problems. Discuss what kind of petition, or action you can take to confront the officer (Organize a protest or something else creative). One of the most shocking actions are to submit charges (see #5 below).
   
   
5. Submit formal charges for unbecoming conduct, disloyalty, malfeasance and corrupt or unethical practices at the next membership meeting. See Section 22 of the ATU Constitution (https://www.scribd.com/document/510252303/ATU-Constitution-and-General-Law-Book) for details on submitting charges against cruel and irresponsible union officers. 
6. 
   
   The Chicago Transit Justice Coalition has made it easy to do by using this template that you can download, edit and print (use the Contact Me form at the top-left side of my Blog if this link is giving you trouble):
   
   

   Template - Charges Against ... by Chicago Transit Justice Coa...

   
   
    
7. Submit a Union Officer Evaluation Form (http://www.chicagotransitworker.com/reports.html) at the Justice Coalition website.
   
   
8. Bring up the issue for "new business" at a membership meeting. This puts the incident—and officer—in the spotlight. Try to have an agenda for a solution. Make it a "motion" and talk with others who may be present so it can be "seconded" and get a vote.
    
9. If nothing happens when attempting the previous suggestions, you do have the right to file an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the union (https://www2.illinois.gov/ilrb/forms/Pages/default.aspx). This is your right, as per the Illinois Labor Relations Act. Although it may work, getting the government involved in our union affairs can be very harmful in the long-term. I, personally, recommend only using the ULP process when calling out our employer for injustices that may not be grievance-worthy—and when we do not trust our union officers to be supportive.
   
   
10. Run for office! If the ridiculous "meeting attendance credits" are an obstacle to running for office—due to work schedule conflicts or illness—simply email the Secretary-Treasurer a notice of why you cannot attend the meeting. Be sure to cite Section 14.2 of the Amalgamated Transit Union Constitution. Then you will get credit! Below a portion of the section for reference:
    

Any meeting attendance requirement applied pursuant to this section shall not operate to render a member ineligible due to a confinement on account of sickness or injury or due to service in the uniformed military services of the United States or Canada, the duration of which would have prevented him or her from attending the required number of meetings, and/or where the member’s attendance was prevented by absence because such member’s regular work schedule prevents attendance on the required amount of meeting days. Documentation supporting any such request(s) for credit for a missed meeting must be provided by the member to the Local Union not more than ten (10) days following the meeting for which he or she seeks an attendance credit or, in the case of one or more absence(s) resulting from the member’s service in the uniformed military services, not more than ten (10) days after the member returns to work. It is the intent of the foregoing language that where a meeting attendance requirement is applied pursuant to this section, a member who has attended only five (5) or fewer regular meetings in a given year shall thereby not be eligible to run for office unless, pursuant to the forgoing language and/or Section 13.3 of this Constitution, or under the bylaws of the LU he or she has been excused from, or granted credit for, attendance at each and all of the remaining regular meetings in that year. 

 

What tactics have you used? Please share them in the comments.