This grievance concerns local management's refusal to furnish access to certain documents requested by the local union steward pursuant to Article 17. It is local management's position that the documents were not relevant. We mutually agreed that it was not the intent of the parties, when negotiating Article 17, that local stewards engage in time-wasting fishing expeditions. Information requested must, indeed, be relevant to the pursuit of the grievance or problem being investigated. On the other hand, a union steward's efforts to establish an affirmative defense in a disciplinary case must not be taken lightly: particularly, if the requested information is for specific, current periods of time and readily retrievable from existing records. Under the particular fact circumstances of this grievance, the steward may review the requested information pursuant to the terms of Article 17, section 4.
Document Type: USPS Position Letter
APWU National Grievance Number: H1C4KC17971
Craft: Clerk