Grievance Process

  1. Within forty-five (45) days of the initial incident, contact the UFF-FIU Grievance Committee.
  2. If it is determined your issue may constitute a violation of the CBA, you will be meet in person with a member of the Committee to consider your options and discuss potential remedies and gather supporting documentation.
  3. Before filing a formal grievance, you and a UFF-FIU representative will seek an offline resolution to your situation, such as a meeting with the involved parties to receive clarification or additional information. Oftentimes, issues are resolved at this stage.
  4. If a resolution is not reached, UFF members have the option of pursuing the matter further by requesting that a grievance be filed.
  5. All grievances are then placed in a Step 1 informal resolution status for forty-five (45) days. You and a UFF representative will meet with the appropriate administrator(s) to resolve the grievance informally. If you are satisfied with the decision, this concludes the grievance process!
  6. If an informal resolution is not reached, UFF-FIU members have the option of pursuing the matter further by requesting a Step 2 review be filed by UFF-FIU. This must happen within 30 days of the expiration of Step 1 meetings. 
  7. A Step 2 hearing will be scheduled no sooner than 10 days following the filing of a Step 2 review. This is essentially the same process as Step 1, except you and a UFF-FIU rep will meet with the President or different administrative designee(s) to present any evidence in support of the grievance.
  8. Within 15 days, a written decision stating the reasons for the grievance outcome is issued. If you are satisfied with the decision, this concludes the grievance process!
  9. If the decision is not acceptable, we have an additional 45 days to file for arbitration***. With arbitration, an outside mediator is selected and will hear both sides of the grievance and make a decision. An arbitration hearing must take place within 25 days of selection.
  10. The arbiter’s decision will be issued within 30 days of the hearing. If the arbitrator determines that the CBA has been violated, the arbitrator shall direct FIU to take appropriate action. Whatever decision the arbitrator makes is the final decision for the grievance.​​

***NOTE: In cases in which BOT-UFF policies are violated, Step 3 proceeds to Neutral, Internal Resolution of Policy Disputes (NIRD) by Panel. The NIRD process largely differs only at this final step in which an internal panel of university employees and “neutral” community members (i.e. former employees or alumni) shall hear the grievance and issue a final decision.

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