The Weingarten Rule: If you have a reasonable belief that a meeting with a supervisor or administrator may lead to disciplinary action, you have the right to request that a union representative be present.
Key principles of Weingarten Rights:
You must request it: The university is not legally required to remind you of this right; you must clearly state that you want a union representative present.
No retaliation: You cannot be punished for making this request.
The "Stop" Rule: Once you request representation, the employer must choose one of three options:
Grant the request and wait until the representative arrives.
Discontinue the interview immediately.Â
Offer you the choice of continuing the interview without a representative (which we strongly advise against) or ending the interview.
How to Invoke Your Rights
If you are called into a meeting that feels investigatory, you can use the following "Weingarten Declaration":
"If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative be present at the meeting. Until my representative arrives, I choose not to participate in this discussion."