The steward's national toolkit.
Everything that is true for grievance work in almost any union lives here - the federal rights, the just-cause framework, the package builder, deadline math, and an info-request generator. Plug in your own contract and local, and it is ready. Your work stays on this device.
Your local setup
Backup
Everything is stored only on this device. Export a backup you can keep or move to another device.
Security
Lock this toolkit with a PIN on this device. This is a privacy screen, not bank-grade security - your data is still stored locally.
Grievance package
Capture the facts once. Generate a clean grievance statement, an information request, and an investigation checklist from the same case.
Defense prep & counter-arguments
The defenses management raises are predictable. Pick the grievance type to see the common ones and how stewards answer them, then build your rebuttal.
Overtime distribution / bypass analyzer
If your contract equalizes overtime or bars improper bypass, log who worked or was skipped and the hours; this flags anyone falling past your threshold behind the top worker. It is a math aid, not a ruling - confirm against your contract's overtime language.
Information request (RFI) generator
Under the NLRA, an employer must furnish information that is relevant and necessary to the union's role in processing a grievance (NLRB relevance standard). Public-sector/federal duties are similar but vary by jurisdiction.
Investigation checklist
Tracker
Timeliness kills more grievances than the merits. Set your contract's steps once; every case you save gets its due dates computed.
Active grievances
Your grievance procedure
Enter the steps from your contract and how many calendar days each allows. "Base" is what the clock counts from. These vary by contract, so set them to match yours exactly.
Contract & local library
This is where the local lives. Add your contract's articles, your local agreement provisions, and any awards or settlements that bind your shop - then cite them when you build.
Contract citations
Local agreement / side letters
Locally negotiated provisions (local memorandum, side letters, past practice). This is the layer that differs shop to shop.
Awards & settlements log
Log arbitration awards and grievance settlements that set precedent for your shop, so you can cite them next time.
Rights every steward uses
These are the federal rules that hold across most private-sector unions. Set your sector on the Home tab for the right notes.
Weingarten rights
An employee has the right to union representation during an investigatory interview they reasonably believe could lead to discipline. The right must be requested - it is not automatic - and once requested, the employer may not lawfully continue questioning without a rep (it can stop the interview instead).
NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc., 420 U.S. 251 (1975)
Request script: "If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, I respectfully request that my union representative be present. Without representation, I choose not to answer questions."
Just cause - the seven tests
Arbitrators widely weigh discipline against these seven tests. A "no" on any one is an opening. Use this to size up a discipline case.
The employer's duty to furnish information
The employer must provide information that is relevant and necessary for the union to investigate and process grievances and administer the contract. Information about bargaining-unit employees is presumptively relevant. Use the RFI generator on the Build tab.
NLRA Sec. 8(a)(5); NLRB v. Acme Industrial Co., 385 U.S. 432 (1967)
Burden of proof
In discipline and discharge cases, the employer generally carries the burden to prove just cause. In contract-interpretation cases, the union generally carries the burden to prove the violation. Know which seat you are in before you argue.
Your duty of fair representation
The union must represent every member without acting arbitrarily, discriminatorily, or in bad faith. Practically: investigate, act on time, document, and treat like cases alike - even for members you would rather not help.
Vaca v. Sipes, 386 U.S. 171 (1967)
EEO / discrimination - a separate forum
Discrimination or retaliation based on a protected class runs through the EEO process on its own deadlines, separate from your grievance. You can often pursue both, but some contracts force an election of remedies - check before filing.
Protected bases to consider:
Title VII, ADA, ADEA (EEOC). Federal employees use the agency EEO process; deadlines differ.
Drafting assistant
Optional helper that drafts from the case on your Build tab. It uses your own API key, stored only on this device - nothing is sent anywhere except directly to the provider you choose.