A grievance is a complaint by an employee, a group of employees and/or the union that states that the employer or its representative violated the union contract or school/college board policy. The violation means that either the employer did something it was not supposed to do or, conversely, did not do something it was supposed to do.

All union contracts and most board policy books outline a procedure designed to address employee complaints or grievances at the lowest level possible--the work site. If the problem can't be resolved at the work site, the grievance procedure usually outlines two to three additional steps--or levels within the employer's management structure--at which the union can present its complaint or problem and seek a solution.

Many union contracts also provide an opportunity for the union and management to present their case at a hearing with a neutral outside third party, or arbitrator. The arbitrator listens to both sides of the argument, considers the facts and then makes a ruling that is usually binding on both management and the union. This step is called arbitration.

Grievance procedures and grievance policies are unique to each AFT local and the members the local represents. For more information on your local's grievance procedure, contact your local union.