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COGS is YOUR Union

YOUR Rights, Available because of COGS

You have the right to working conditions as provided in the contract and employment standards.

You have the right to union representation if a supervisor calls you in for a meeting that could impact your employment. You have the right to reschedule until union representation is available. Requesting this is exercising your

Weingarten Rights

Per the NLRB and the Supreme Court (NLRB v. J. Weingarten Inc, 420 U.S.
251, 1975) you are entitled to a union representative if the interview is
investigatory in nature and if you reasonably fear that discipline could
result from this interview.
If you are called in for a meeting with a supervisor (even if it is last-minute),
make a clear request for union representation. Your supervisor must either
give you 48 hours to coordinate with your COGS representative(s) or end the
interview.
If your supervisor continues to ask questions, this officially falls into the
territory of unfair labor practice. You cannot be disciplined for refusing to
answer questions without your union rep present.

You have the right to file grievances for any act taken by your supervisor that violates the Graduate Student Employment Standards.

What’s a grievance?

A grievance is effectively a formal, (usually) written complaint that identifies an issue with a worker’s employment and offers a specific remedy to fix it. Not every workplace dispute requires filing a grievance, but your department steward can advise you on this. If you believe that your rights as a worker have been infringed upon, CONTACT YOUR STEWARD. Retaliation against workers for filing grievances is illegal.

Examples of potential grievances:
- Working over hours allotted in your contract (Overwork),
- Mistreatment,
- Underpay,
- Failure to appropriately train,
- Substandard working conditions,
- Non-delivery of offer letter,
- A lack of “just cause” in disciplinary proceedings.

Unsure who your steward is? Find out here.