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The Most Important Principle ... Confidentiality
The WPEA Job Rep Creed consists of eleven
principles that guide a Job Rep’s actions in the
performance of his or her duties. One of the most important
is confidentiality. The WPEA Job Rep Manual addresses
confidentiality as follows:
Maintain Confidentiality
If you’re a gossip, you’re not good Job Rep
Material. Many times, when a member contacts a Job Rep in
search of support and advice, they are already in trouble
with management. Take attendance for instance. Many times
there are extenuating circumstances that directly contribute
to the problem. They can vary from not getting enough rest
due to working a second job, to marital problems, to
substance abuse, or any combination thereof.
In many instances, the employee is
embarrassed and opts to not disclose the information to
his/her supervisor. The situation continues to worsen until
the supervisor takes action, sometimes due to sheer
frustration.
When dealing with any situation, it is
absolutely necessary to gain the member’s trust. This is
done by insuring them that you will maintain their
confidentiality. If you would like to discuss their
situation with other Job Reps individually or in a Job Rep
Committee Meeting, then by all means ask them for permission
to do so. There might be a Job Rep or two that the member
doesn’t want to be familiar with their situation.
A Lesson from the Past
Steve and his supervisor, Ted, were at odds
almost the first day Ted was hired. Steve viewed himself as
being smarter than Ted and went out of his way to “test”
Ted. Ted’s frustrations grew to the point where he decided
it was time to take action. Ted contacted Steve and told him
that he wanted to meet with him. Ted even told Steve he
might want to bring a union rep with him to the meeting -
which he didn’t have to do. The local union rep was Mike.
Steve didn’t know who is union rep was and
began asking co-workers. One co-worker had had a bad
experience with Mike and wasn’t very complimentary. Steve
contacted Mike and Mike agreed to attend the meeting.
Another co-worker, who had taken Job Rep training, but was
never designated as a Job Rep, told Steve that he didn’t
have to answer any of Ted’s questions since in his opinion,
Mike wasn’t a good Job Rep – a little knowledge can be a
dangerous thing.
The meeting was far from positive as Steve
announced that he wasn’t going to answer any questions and
left the meeting. Mike might have saved Steve from possible
physical attack as Ted was livid.
That evening, Mike called a co-worker and jokingly told him
about the incident. The next day, less than 24 hours after
the meeting, the incident was “the talk of the workplace.”
Mike’s gossiping not only reflected badly
upon himself, but also WPEA’s reputation. Unfortunately, it
appears that Steve’s co-workers were correct in their
opinion of Mike as a Job Rep – “If you’re a gossip, you’re
not good Job Rep Material.” |
