At an arbitration hearing, the human dynamics can get a little tricky. The last thing you want is for the other side or the arbitrator to get the impression that you and the union representative are not completely in sync. So make sure that you understand pretty clearly what is going to  take place at the hearing before you enter the room. Work this out with your representative, but usually it will be preferable for you to write notes during the hearing itself, rather than try to talk to your representative, which is likely to be too distracting. There will be plenty of breaks during the day during which you can talk things over. Keep in mind that it is natural for it to take a fair amount of time to complete the arbitration process. And even after the “final and binding” arbitration award is issued, either party to a case may pursue an appeal. Sometimes an appeal is simply one more item in an employer’s bag of tricks to delay and add unnecessary expense to the union’s pursuit of justice. So while you have every right to be insistent about being informed about the progress of your case, you also have an obligation to be reasonable in your expectations about how quickly it will be resolved.
—Adapted from The Union Member's Complete Guide, by Michael Mauer |
