Union morning.

Don’t know what’s got into me, but I’ve turned into a snarly union rep this morning. Normally I am all acquiesence and playing nice – a facilitator rather than a fighter – but lately, I’ve seen people I represent pushed one too many times and I’m starting to get a bit worn out by it. I’m also a bit thin-edged over management’s expectations of us as union reps after being requested to come in over my holidays for a grievance presentation that could just as easily been heard next week. Nix that, I’ve got another steward to fill in for me since I haven’t had a full week of holidays off in over a year.

And what are the issues? Of course all the big ones – accomodating workers with disabilities, staffing procedures, unpaid overtime, and the right to paid leave in the event of inclement weather.

In the main, my difficulty is with the fact that the employer “consults” with the union all the time, but they *never* listen to us. Consultation is just a formality required by law, and as a result, we never make any real headway. It’s insincere on the part of the employer, and it’s a time-drain for those of us who are already trying to balance job/union requirements.

I don’t want to fight with management over every little issue, but right now I’m feeling that they have come to expect our full “co-operation” and are now taking advantage in the pettiest of ways. I don’t feel much like fighting back, but since I really am at the end of my patience, it’s coming pretty natural today. We’ll see what happens in my hearing this afternoon.