frustrated_3
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NJ
Hi all. I'm back.
A quick background: The employees where I work have been trying to unionize for close to two years. This all started in Nov. 2014. Since then we have lost half of our employees due to bad pay and tense relationships with the administration. Our first rep left after 6 months and we were never told why. Our new rep barely does anything to get the process moving. The union did hire a lawyer to help write our proposal but apparently after he penned the contract, he's gone too. He will not be at negotiations even though he insisted on much of the wording in the proposal (based on "best practices" for acceptable contracts according to the state of NJ...don't get me started on my feelings about that!) Another note, I am the sole employee on the negotiating team. Two of the people we lost were on the team, one was forced out. I know this is bad but I'vs asked repeatedly for others to join. They are either too busy or do not have the guts to do so because they fear for their jobs. Yet, they all say they want to continue the fight.
My rep will not meet with me before the date of negotiations. She will not answer my questions via email. She thinks meeting for one hour prior to negotiations will suffice. I have asked if she'd even read the proposal. I get no answer. I contacted her boss directly, the director of the local in this area. The director agreed to meet with me to answer all my questions in person a month ago and just emailed me today saying she would just join us on the negotiation day with the rep. I'll be unable relay any problems with the rep to the director, since she'll be present and we won't have time to discuss my original questions anyway. I really give up. The situation is beginning to make me physically ill.
All this to ask, can we walk away from the contract once negotiations start? I feel like I'm being completely railroaded by the union and don't expect them to fight for the employees in any way. I feel like they're just waiting to throw me to the sharks at the meetings. I have called PERC in the past to get some guidance. They were equally astonished. I have an email in to them again but I'm not getting an answer. I may have to call again. I'd rather wlk away then have a horrible contract...or spend more years without raises trying to get a contract.
I'm just at a loss on how to get this back on track. In the meantime, managers (who were excluded from the contracted against our wishes, when we were told they could be included) have gotten a raise while all other employees haven't in 4-6 years. It's not a happy place.
Thanks for any advice,
Frustrated_3
Hi all. I'm back.
A quick background: The employees where I work have been trying to unionize for close to two years. This all started in Nov. 2014. Since then we have lost half of our employees due to bad pay and tense relationships with the administration. Our first rep left after 6 months and we were never told why. Our new rep barely does anything to get the process moving. The union did hire a lawyer to help write our proposal but apparently after he penned the contract, he's gone too. He will not be at negotiations even though he insisted on much of the wording in the proposal (based on "best practices" for acceptable contracts according to the state of NJ...don't get me started on my feelings about that!) Another note, I am the sole employee on the negotiating team. Two of the people we lost were on the team, one was forced out. I know this is bad but I'vs asked repeatedly for others to join. They are either too busy or do not have the guts to do so because they fear for their jobs. Yet, they all say they want to continue the fight.
My rep will not meet with me before the date of negotiations. She will not answer my questions via email. She thinks meeting for one hour prior to negotiations will suffice. I have asked if she'd even read the proposal. I get no answer. I contacted her boss directly, the director of the local in this area. The director agreed to meet with me to answer all my questions in person a month ago and just emailed me today saying she would just join us on the negotiation day with the rep. I'll be unable relay any problems with the rep to the director, since she'll be present and we won't have time to discuss my original questions anyway. I really give up. The situation is beginning to make me physically ill.
All this to ask, can we walk away from the contract once negotiations start? I feel like I'm being completely railroaded by the union and don't expect them to fight for the employees in any way. I feel like they're just waiting to throw me to the sharks at the meetings. I have called PERC in the past to get some guidance. They were equally astonished. I have an email in to them again but I'm not getting an answer. I may have to call again. I'd rather wlk away then have a horrible contract...or spend more years without raises trying to get a contract.
I'm just at a loss on how to get this back on track. In the meantime, managers (who were excluded from the contracted against our wishes, when we were told they could be included) have gotten a raise while all other employees haven't in 4-6 years. It's not a happy place.
Thanks for any advice,
Frustrated_3
