As a union member, you have the right to have union representation with you at any meeting with an administrator at which you have a reasonable expectation that discipline of any nature could occur.
Weingarten rights, as established in a 1975 United States Supreme Court decision— NLRB v. Weingarten, Inc.—guarantee an employee the right to union representation during an investigatory interview.
Respectfully request that a union representative be present if you have been told that a meeting could result in disciplinary action, or have reason to believe that it could.
Your administrator is not required to inform you of this right—you must speak up in order to exercise this right.
The Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations sets out four criteria that determine the right to representation, and all four conditions must be met.
- The employer (administrator) calls the meeting.
- Your attendance at the meeting is mandatory.
- You have a reasonable basis for believing that the meeting will result in discipline or place your job in jeopardy.
- You ask for representation.
If a situation occurs that you believe could affect your employment, then you may be entitled to union representation. Do not be shy—protect yourself!
