What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
Arizona
I am a federal employee, a member of a bargaining unit and a dues paying member of the union.
Recently, there has been an incredibly vicious and unprofessional exchange of e-mails, gossip and bad mouthing by employees(non-management) and the union towards each other. Many union members have expressed a desire to drop out of the union and then feel completely disheartened because we can only do this once per year.
In an effort to promote better relations between the members and the union, I sent an e-mail to the barganing unit (minus union officials) asking for them to provide me with their issues with the union, whether it be with how the relationship between management/agents/union is handled or an issue they would prefer to see addressed by the union so I could present it to them in aggregate and in a professional and respectful manner. Many people regard the union president as a bully and are intimidated by him. I did not advocate anything other than activity and an avenue if they chose to use it to get their opinions across. Every response I have received has been positive. Then things went bad...
This morning, I received a call on my personal cell phone from the Union President who was, let's say, upset. His first question was "What the hell are you trying to do?" His next question was "Who put you up to this, just tell me and I'll pin it on them" (implying management). He was yelling, aggressive, told me I had no place e-mailing anybody because I am not a union official and threatened me(yes, threatened me) with "union bashing is an unfair labor practice, and I will be consulting our attorney and filing an unfair labor charge against you" (I know he can't, but he was threatening to use the money I pay to bring charges against me."
The kicker is he hadn't even read the email. He was told I was advocating for people to leave the union(incorrectly) by union steward who saw the email as somebody else was reading it. He finished by telling me he was going to consult his people and would let me know what I needed to do to fix this, either retract portions or rephrase otherwise he was "coming after me full force". He then explained that if I wanted him out of the union so badly, I could run (don't want it) because he was trying for a spot on the national council. Later that day he informed me not to contact him until he figures out where to go from there. (I have that text message saved). I've been denied access to a potential union representative.
It seems to me I've been threatened and harassed and had my rights under the FLRA and my first amendment rights threatened.
Would anybody mind sharing any insight to this?
Arizona
I am a federal employee, a member of a bargaining unit and a dues paying member of the union.
Recently, there has been an incredibly vicious and unprofessional exchange of e-mails, gossip and bad mouthing by employees(non-management) and the union towards each other. Many union members have expressed a desire to drop out of the union and then feel completely disheartened because we can only do this once per year.
In an effort to promote better relations between the members and the union, I sent an e-mail to the barganing unit (minus union officials) asking for them to provide me with their issues with the union, whether it be with how the relationship between management/agents/union is handled or an issue they would prefer to see addressed by the union so I could present it to them in aggregate and in a professional and respectful manner. Many people regard the union president as a bully and are intimidated by him. I did not advocate anything other than activity and an avenue if they chose to use it to get their opinions across. Every response I have received has been positive. Then things went bad...
This morning, I received a call on my personal cell phone from the Union President who was, let's say, upset. His first question was "What the hell are you trying to do?" His next question was "Who put you up to this, just tell me and I'll pin it on them" (implying management). He was yelling, aggressive, told me I had no place e-mailing anybody because I am not a union official and threatened me(yes, threatened me) with "union bashing is an unfair labor practice, and I will be consulting our attorney and filing an unfair labor charge against you" (I know he can't, but he was threatening to use the money I pay to bring charges against me."
The kicker is he hadn't even read the email. He was told I was advocating for people to leave the union(incorrectly) by union steward who saw the email as somebody else was reading it. He finished by telling me he was going to consult his people and would let me know what I needed to do to fix this, either retract portions or rephrase otherwise he was "coming after me full force". He then explained that if I wanted him out of the union so badly, I could run (don't want it) because he was trying for a spot on the national council. Later that day he informed me not to contact him until he figures out where to go from there. (I have that text message saved). I've been denied access to a potential union representative.
It seems to me I've been threatened and harassed and had my rights under the FLRA and my first amendment rights threatened.
Would anybody mind sharing any insight to this?