The following are interviews I have conducted or used in the past, which I modified for general use. I am sharing because many Stewards get ‘lost’ on how to Interview Management or the Employee(s). Whenever I am lost, I pull up an old interview and modify it.
Different interviews serve different purposes. If possible I interview every potential Grievant after Managements Interview to confirm the evidence presented for Due Process. If needed, I also conduct my own Interview of the potential Grievant of what I would consider investigative.
The purposes of Interviews I conduct is to either confirm violations or create violations. Never ask a question you do not know the answer to (within reason).
Interviews:
- This first interview is an AWOL Attendance Interview which is to be conducted as soon after the II as possible. The purpose is to gain evidence the absences were not AWOL.
2. This second interview is the mirror to number one. It is directed to the Supervisor who AWOL’ed or issued the discipline. Intent is once again to prove the absences were not AWOL.
3. This third interview is focused on Management introducing an interview as a justification for discipline but that interview was not presented to the Grievant to respond to during the investigative interview, violating Due Process.
4. This fourth interview is about the same subject matter, but is directed to the Grievant to codify that no evidence was presented during the investigative interview.
5. This interview is focused on the lack of 16.2 Discussions, a couple Due Process elements I do not commonly address in the investigative interview and finally reaffirming what evidence was shown. This is a basic template for all Attendance related interviews I conduct on Grievants.
6. This interview is focused on the lack of 16.2 Discussions, a couple Due Process elements I do not commonly address in the investigative interview and finally reaffirming what evidence was shown. This is a basic template for all Conduct related interviews I conduct on Grievants.
7. This interview is a more aggressive interview I conduct with Supervisors who issued Attendance Discipline. It is geared to catch a Supervisor messing up as it relates to discussions, what occurred during the investigative interview, etc. I use this to argue the elements of Due Process and/or Just Cause were not met. I intentionally ask these questions quickly.
7 and 8. These two interviews are variations I conduct with the Supervisor immediately after they conduct their Interview. The basis is I have experienced a large amount of Supervisors being ‘told’ to take action which I could not confirm via another medium.
9. This is a basic template for all discipline when I have not ulterior motive for the interview and am simply attempting to gain evidence for the Grievance. This interview is the most editable and has some elements of Conduct and Attendance.
10. This interview is designed to be conducted IMMEDIATELY after Management’s interview. The basis is the Grievant revealed information in the interview about a plethora of mitigating factors the Supervisor was not writing down, or not asking follow up questions. This was a conduct issue (Walking inside the building, believe it or not) but can be modified for your own use. This style of interview is to dig deeper where Management failed to do so and the premise can be applied to Attendance as well.
APWU Steward 