June 28, 2012: Supervisors have different strategies to try to put stewards off, trip you up or get around the contract.

There's no one-size-fits-all strategy for dealing with difficult supervisors. But being prepared can help you feel more confident, be more effective and avoid getting caught off guard.

Before approaching the supervisor, write down the relevant facts and keep your goal in mind. What is the problem? What is the remedy you want? What is a reasonable timeline for getting the problem resolved?

Before a hearing, prepare enough so you're comfortable presenting your case and can back it up with copies of the contract language, supporting documentation, witness testimony and other relevant facts.

Procrastinators

These are the "Don't know" or "Do-nothing" sups. They’ll do anything to avoid the steward, pass the buck or postpone action.

Pin them down. If they say "I can't talk now," say "Ok, when can we talk?"

"Don't let a supervisor blow you off," says Local 804 UPS Alternate Steward Domenick DeDomenico. "If they say they can't meet, set a specific date and time when they can. If they say it's out of my hands or they can't do anything, ask whose hands it's in and bring your issue to the next level in the chain of command."

Tough Guys

Some supervisors use threats and intimidation. If your supervisor is abusive, take notes and document the threats. File a harassment grievance if necessary.

Sometimes group action can back a supervisor off. A group of custodial workers, members of Teamsters Local 805, were being yelled at and insulted in public by their supervisor.

"Workers met with their steward and together we brought a group grievance to human resources. The workers felt they were being discriminated against and we told management we were prepared to file an EEOC charge. We got an agreement that the supervisor would talk to employees about their work performance only in his office—not publicly embarrass them," said Local 805 President Sandy Pope.

Sweet-talkers

Sweet-talkers are difficult because they might be friendly— even well-intentioned—and you might not want to offend them if you confront them. But you need to—otherwise you'll continue to get vague promises and no actual change.

"Get supervisors to commit to a concrete remedy and get it in writing," says Local 206 Union Representative Leonard Stoehr. "Don't give them forever to implement it. If you've already given them a chance to resolve an issue, you may need to escalate by filing a grievance or taking your complaint to a higher up."

Mr. Change-the-Subject

Supervisors don't like having stewards pin them down on problems. A common tactic to try to get you to back off is for them to change the subject or bring up unrelated problems.

Don't take the bait. Stay focused on the problem or incident and what you want done about it. Refocus them on the issue by saying, "We're not hear to discuss that, we're here to discuss X."

"When I see a member get frustrated or thrown off subject, I suggest a break and bring the member outside for a few minutes to caucus," says Bill O’Bayley, a Local 805 steward at White Rose Foods. "We make a plan to refocus the meeting and get back on track."

Flamethrowers

Flamethrowers will yell, scream or curse at you to try to push your buttons.

Try to keep your cool and stick to the issues. Use the grievance procedure instead of getting into shouting matches.

"The thing I've learned works best with supervisors is being knowledgeable of the contract and dealing with them in a calm controlled tone," said Ralph Merideth, a Local 150 steward at UPS in Sacramento. "The key is to be firm, be willing to listen and be able to present a reasonable solution based on the contract."

If a steward finds that he or she has to fire back against a flamethrower, make sure it's done in front of a group and that it's planned. Stewards are allowed to confront management—including yelling back—when they are performing duty as a steward, under the "Equality Rule." The rule doesn't permit everything though. Read The Legal Rights of Union Stewards for more info on the rule and other rights of stewards. Click here to order a copy online.

Don’t Let a Supervisor Put You Off.

"If they say they can't meet, set a specific date and time when they can. If they say it's out of my hands or they can't do anything, ask whose hands it's in and bring your issue to the next level in the chain of command."

Domenick DeDomenico
UPS Alt. Steward, Local 804, New York

Get It in Writing.

"Get supervisors to commit to a concrete remedy and get it in writing. Don't give them forever to implement it. If you've already given them a chance to resolve an issue, you may need to escalate by filing a grievance."

Leonard Stoehr
Union Representative, Local 206, Portland, Ore.

Know the Contract. Be Firm.

"Know your contract and deal with them in a calm controlled tone. The key is to be firm, be willing to listen and be able to present a reasonable solution based on the contract."

Ralph Merideth
UPS Steward, Local 150, Sacramento

MUST HAVE TOOLS

Click here to order The Union Steward’s Complete Guide and The Legal Rights of Union Stewards from TDU.