Create a Record

Information
For Stewards

Create a Record

Create a record

When investigating a complaint, it is important to take notes. Don’t hesitate to interrupt a relevant interview with a grievant or a supervisor in order to fetch a pen and notebook. This is especially true if discipline may be involved. A detailed written record that can be made available to higher levels of the grievance procedure could mean the difference between a successful defense based on facts, and a failed defense based on faulty memory of disputed events and conversations.

Stewards, like reporters, should organize their interviews around the “Five W’s”:

Who are the affected parties? These include workers, supervisors, and others who were witnesses or have knowledge of the situation.

What happened? What did the member do? What did management do? What has happened in the past that is relevant?

When did it happen? Note the time and date of relevant conversations and activities.

Where did it happen? Location may be a relevant factor.

Why did the incident happen? Sometimes an individual’s motive is crucial to understanding why certain behavior took place.