My union, OPSEU, tries to educate its members about workplace incivility and bullying. So it's interesting to read about the study this posting references.

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The playground bully has grown up and gotten a job.

Workplace bullying, which can include everything from belittling comments to excluding someone from an important meeting, may be tougher on employees than sexual harassment, according to new research.

The findings, presented this week at the Seventh International Conference on Work, Stress and Health, highlight the difficult problem of workplace aggression. Most workplaces are sensitive to complaints of sexual harassment, and employees with complaints about harassment have avenues to seek help. Workplace aggression, however, isn’t illegal and victims often must fend for themselves, said lead author M. Sandy Hershcovis of the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Hershcovis and coauthor Julian Barling of Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, reviewed 110 studies conducted over 21 years that compared employee experiences with both sexual harassment and workplace aggression. The study looked at worker stress and anxiety, job turnover and worker satisfaction, among other things.

The authors identified different forms of workplace aggression. Incivility could include simple rudeness, either in words or action. Interpersonal conflicts involved problems that led to arguments with another coworker. Bullying involved persistent criticism, yelling, spreading gossip, insults and ignoring or excluding workers from office activities.

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[ 16 March 2008: Message edited by: Michelle ]

In my experience, unions need to clarify their approaches to dealing with bullying. The primary union in my workplace has gone out of its way to protect the bullies, putting victims through hell by placing the entire burden of proof on them.

For instance, the bullies are always whinging about overtime and who gets it. We'll have somebody call in sick, and the boss will start phoning for replacements according to the overtime protocol set by the union. No matter how scrupulous the boss is, the bullies are constantly accusing her of playing favourites. I have come to work to find people screaming at each other, and in one case two women actually brawled (those two have both since quit).

One person had a huge hissy a few weeks ago when she was confronted about her smoking in the bathroom.

When the bullies aren't working, everybody comments how quiet it is, how you can just do your job without all sorts of pointless melodrama complicating your day.

It's stressful, dealing with all this nonsense. Trouble is, management does nothing. All they would have to do is fire a couple of trouble-makers, but they don't appear to be taking any steps to make that possible. So the bullies continue to poison the work environment for everybody, and more than a few good people have quit in disgust.

Unions have to represent all workers, of course, so I'm sure it's no fun when a steward has to represent both the bully (when management does practice progressive discipline) and the bullied. I personally see it as a solidarity issue - if you're a union member, part of being in solidarity with your fellow members is not attacking them.

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Originally posted by Michelle:
From what I understand (and I'm no expert, this is just what I've gleaned as a member who attends meetings), the approach is, if it's union member being uncivil or bullying another union member, that the grievance on behalf of the bullied is officially filed against the manager or supervisor for not effectively supervising and stopping any harrassment or bullying.

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Exactly.

It's a developing field, but your opening post seems to reflect the U.S. reality more than the Canadian, when it says victims of bullying "often must fend for themselves". The union movement in the States is moribund, with less than 12% unionized and far less than that in the private sector.

Where there's a union, victims certainly do not have to "fend for themselves".

Arbitrators have now recognized that employers are obliged to provide a harassment-free environment. That's why the proper course is to file a grievance against management, even when the bullying is worker on worker. Then, management either takes action (by investigating thoroughly, and where necessary separating the parties, disciplining or firing the aggressor, instituting policies and programs to heal the poison and prevent recurrences) - or if management won't act, then it becomes liable, and arbitrators will order remedies including damages.

Of course, unions have to represent both sides of a dispute when it's worker on worker. At the very initial stages of our complaint, our local will assign two different reps to talk to and assist each "side". As the file evolves, the union will complete its own investigation. If one worker is guilty as sin, and say is disciplined or fired, the union has the right to tell them: "Sorry, we're not pursuing your grievance - no reasonable chance of success". Or, if management drops the issue prematurely without adequate redress, we pursue that aspect. Finally, if investigation shows that the bullying charge was frivolous or exaggerated, the same decision-making power is there for the union - as long as thorough investigation is made at each stage.

It's very hard (obviously) and very very far from perfect - but the mechanisms are there.

In a non-union shop - go back to square one. You're in the U.S. You're on your own. Go hire a lawyer and figure out whom to sue.

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That's why the proper course is to file a grievance against management, even when the bullying is worker on worker.

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Of course, unions have to represent both sides of a dispute when it's worker on worker.

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A manager told me it takes two years to fire someone in the union. And in that time, the perpetrators continue to bully, only now they're nastier because they're being prosecuted. A lot of people don't have the stomach for such a drawn-out process.

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I'm sure it's no fun when a steward has to represent both the bully (when management does practice progressive discipline) and the bullied

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In OPSEU, with our vaunted member carriage rights, that circumstance could require two stewards, or even alternate representation from outside the workplace or bargaining unit for one or both of the members.

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Originally posted by Proaxiom:
Suppose there is an allegation of worker-to-worker bullying, and both management and the union look into it, and the two come to different conclusions as to whether the allegation has merit.

How would that get resolved?

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Originally posted by Sineed:

A manager told me it takes two years to fire someone in the union. And in that time, the perpetrators continue to bully, only now they're nastier because they're being prosecuted. A lot of people don't have the stomach for such a drawn-out process.

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With all due respect, I'm not sure what kind of idiot your manager is, nor whether he takes you for one.

Management - in any industry, public or private - which has definitive evidence of someone committing offences of this nature must take immediate action to separate the parties, and if necessary suspend or discharge the offender immediately after the investigation is concluded. If they don't act fast enough, the union and its members will ensure they do.

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Originally posted by triciamarie:

In OPSEU, with our vaunted member carriage rights, ...

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In OPSEU, with our vaunted member carriage rights, ...

[thread drift] That is so bizarre. I couldn't believe it until I read it in your constitution. You really need to get rid of that.

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Originally posted by frontlineworker:
often i find that in feminist agencies that unions are not favoured but viewed as not feminist enough.

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I can see that as a valid criticism. On the other hand though, an employer is an employer and feminist or not, there aren't too many of them who support union activism in their own staff.

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With all due respect, I'm not sure what kind of idiot your manager is, nor whether he takes you for one.

Management - in any industry, public or private - which has definitive evidence of someone committing offences of this nature must take immediate action to separate the parties, and if necessary suspend or discharge the offender immediately after the investigation is concluded. If they don't act fast enough, the union and its members will ensure they do.

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