• Recognize the employment laws that every supervisor should know
• Discuss arbitration and how it differs from a trial
• Learn ways to avoid unnecessary grievances

Introduction to Unions

• Common reasons why employees choose a union
• The supervisor’s role in union relations
• The union steward – the proper role
• An employee’s right to union representation – understanding the NLRB’s “Weingarten” Decision

Know and Understand All of the Rules

• Administering the union contract while maintaining productivity
• Labor and Employment Discrimination laws every supervisor should know
  – National Labor Relations Act
  – Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
  – The Civil Rights Act of 1991
  – The Age Discrimination in the Employment Act
  – The Americans with Disabilities Act
  – The Family and Medical Leave Act
  – State Workers’ Compensation Laws
• Conducting an Effective Investigation
• Employee Discipline
  – Making it stick

The Grievance Process and Arbitration:

• What is the purpose of the grievance process? Discovery
  – Reaching settlement
• What is arbitration and how is it different from a trial?
  – Format
  – Binding nature
• Effective contract administration – how to avoid going to arbitration
• Living with one another: developing a nonconfrontational relationship
• Avoiding unnecessary grievances
• Effective use of the grievance procedure
• Alternatives to arbitration

What the arbitrator looks for:

• Disputes over employee discipline
• Disputes over contract language
• Common issues that frequently arise at arbitration
  – Past practice on contract interpretation
  – Making sure the penalty fits the crime
  – Credibility issues
  – Language of the contract
  – Language of limitation

Winning Arbitration Strategies

• Preparation for arbitration – winning your case before the hearing starts
• Testifying at the arbitration hearing
• How the arbitrator really decides cases