Employee and Labor Relations for Student Employees
Employee and Labor Relations for Student Employees
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Student Employment questions:
At WWU, there are both union-represented and non-unionized student employees. The role of Employee and Labor Relations (ELR) is to develop positive working relationships with all WWU employees and union representatives by fostering open communication. ELR manages both employee conflicts and CBA-related grievances.
Complaint Procedures
Members of the WWU community have access to several avenues for resolving concerns or complaints.
Discrimination Complaints
The Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance (CRTC) is the primary internal resource for processing complaints of illegal discrimination. No individual shall be penalized or retaliated against in any way by a member of the University community for their participation in this complaint procedure.
Workplace Conflicts
When workplace disputes occur, use the following steps to seek a resolution:
Department-Level Resolution
After attempting to resolve a problem or concern between those involved in the conflict, a student employee may elevate the issue to the next level above the supervisor.
If appropriate, respectfully notify your supervisor of your plan to elevate the dispute for further problem resolution. Note: if the issue involves harassment or discrimination, please reach out to CRTC.
Prior to the meeting write down your concerns and the steps you have already taken to resolve the problem. Try to include the following in the description of the dispute:
- Dates and details of relevant interactions and events
- Concerns you have regarding interactions and events
- Preferred and alternative outcomes
- Effort and actions you are willing to undertake as part of the problem-solving process.
Be mindful that you will most likely not get an immediate outcome. It will take time for those involved in the process to understand the circumstances and consider options.
There is a recognized power differential between a supervisor and a student employee, so the Employee Relations team is available to discuss your options and provide resource referrals on how to work through the dispute resolution process.
Formal Complaint Process
ESE students refer to WWU-WAWU CBA Article 3.
OSE students refer to the letter from President Randhawa to OSE.
WWU-WAWU CBA Grievance Process
The formal grievance procedure can be found in Article 3 of the WWU-WAWU CBA.