KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

As a member of the UFCW, you have the peace of mind of knowing your manager cannot force you into a one-on-one disciplinary meeting with them. All you have to do is request to your manager that your Union Representative or shop steward be present, and we can be there for you and make sure you aren’t bullied or treated unfairly.

In the Weingarten case, the Supreme Court ruled that Union-represented workers have the right to Union representation during all meetings or discussions with supervisors or managers that the member reasonably believes might lead to discipline. These meetings or discussions include discussions on the work floor, in work areas, offices and even outside the facility.

At the beginning of the meeting, the law requires the supervisor or manager to disclose all meeting topics and to give the member a chance to ask for a representative. Members can demand the presence of any on-duty steward. If none is available, the supervisor or manager must postpone the meeting until a steward is available. Companies may not punish employees for exercising their Weingarten rights.

If you work in a UFCW-represented workplace, please help encourage your fellow coworkers to exercise their Weingarten rights. This is important because they waive the right to a witness if they do not speak up and expressly request representation.