Question

Chang was employed as a Material handler at a large manufacturing plant. The employees at the plant were represented by the Manufacturing Employees Union, and worked under a collective agreement. One evening after work, Chang went to a local bar to watch a soccer game on a large screen TV. During the course of the game, Chang and Zak, his work supervisor, who was also at the bar, became involved in a heated discussion over the game. Eventually, the supervisor called Chang ‘an idiot’. Chang responded to the remark with a right hook to the supervisor’s jaw, knocking the supervisor down. Bar employees stopped the fight immediately, and both Chang and Zak were escorted out of the bar. At work the next day, Zak said nothing to Chang about their previous night’s dispute. However, he ordered Chang to clean a large chemical storage tank, a task usually done only by a crew of two workers wearing protective gear due to the danger associated with chemical fumes generated by the cleaning process. Chang was not prepared to do so without a second employee to assist him, and when his request for assistance was refused by the supervisor, Chang refused to do the work. He was suspended for the rest of the day by the supervisor for his refusal to obey the order. When Chang returned to work the next day, he met with his union representative, and complained about his suspension. Question (14): Identify and outline the process that would follow to resolve this complaint. What arguments might be raised by each side, and what might be the outcome?

Answer 1

The process to resolve the complaint is by following the below mentioned steps:

1. Acknowledge and recognise the existence of the conflict between Chang and his supervisor Zak before it is tried to be sorted out and resolved.
2. Analysing the impact of the conflict and how it will affect the work dynamics between the two of them during working hours and thereby the impact on their performance.
3. Chang and Zak must first agree to cooperate inorder to find a solution and resolve the conflict.
4. Allowing both of them to talk inorder to express their strong feelings against each other, taking turns and actively listening to them.
5. Understanding the gravity of the situaion and ensuring them their problems have been heard.
6. Once the parties hear each others' views and understand the opponent's position, the conflict has to be resolved and an agreement has to be reached.

Arguments could be as follows:

• Chang may say that Zak started the conflict by calling him an idiot.
• Whereas Zak may put out his view that it was only verbal but Chang was the first one to attack him physically and knock him down.
• Chang might further go on to say that he completely forgot about the incident which happened outside work and came for work the next day but was taken advantage of by giving impossible work to perform.
• Zak may reply saying it was nothiing intentional, it was just another regular day at work and regular tasks were given.

The following may be the possible outcomes:

1. There might be a heated arguement converted into an unresolvable conflict or
2. They might compromise and come to common terms for resolving the conflict.