What does my union owe me?

Required bargaining-unit responsibilities

• Negotiate a collective bargaining agreement for the entire represented unit, not only for union members.
• Apply negotiated contract terms to bargaining-unit employees, including nonmembers.
• Represent employees fairly when exercising exclusive bargaining authority, including relevant contract grievance functions.
• Do not retaliate in representation simply because someone disagrees with leadership or is not a member. Fair-representation claims require evidence of arbitrary, discriminatory or bad-faith action.

What is not automatic

• An individual lawyer or lawsuit for every employment concern.
• Arbitration of every grievance or a guarantee of a favorable outcome.
• Voting rights in internal union elections, officer positions or members-only insurance and programs.
• Internal membership privileges under bylaws or every service beyond exclusive bargaining representation.

What if I want to handle my own grievance?

Both RCW 41.59.090 and RCW 41.56.240 permit certain grievances to be presented directly to the employer. The representative must receive an opportunity to participate, and an adjustment cannot contradict the contract. Your CBA may have additional steps or tight deadlines.

What if my administrator calls an investigatory meeting?

If questioning is investigatory and you reasonably believe discipline could result, request union representation. PERC’s unfair-labor-practice materials describe the elements of employer interference with these rights. A request does not guarantee a private attorney or apply to every routine meeting.

If you believe representation was withheld unfairly

1. Document the date, the assistance requested and what the union said or did.
2. Ask for the reason for denial in writing and identify the specific CBA provision.
3. Compare the response to PERC’s duty-of-fair-representation standard; a disappointing result alone is not enough.
4. Review the deadline for a possible unfair-labor-practice complaint and obtain individual legal advice when needed.