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§34.3 Representation

CSEA shall have the exclusive right to represent any employee, upon the

employee’s request, at any step of the grievance procedure; provided,
however, an individual employee may represent himself or herself in

processing his or her grievance at Steps 1 and 2.
§34.4 Grievance Steps

Prior to initiating a formal written grievance pursuant to this Article,
an employee or CSEA is encouraged to resolve disputes subject to this

Article informally with the appropriate immediate supervisor.
(a) Step One. The employer or CSEA shall present the grievance to the

facility or institution head or his or her designated representative not later
than thirty (30) calendar days after the date on which the act or omission

giving rise to the grievance occurred. The facility or institution head or
designated representative shall meet with the employee or CSEA and shall

issue a short, plain written statement of reasons for its decision to the
employee or CSEA not later than twenty (20) working days following the

receipt of the grievance.
(b) Step Two. An appeal from an unsatisfactory decision at Step 1 shall

be filed by the employee or CSEA, on forms to be provided by the State,
with the agency or department head or designated representative within ten

(10) working days of the receipt of the Step 1 decision. Such appeal shall be
in writing and shall include a copy of the grievance filed at Step 1, a copy

of the Step 1 decision and a short, plain written statement of the reasons for
disagreement with the Step 1 decision. The agency or department head or

designated representative shall meet with the employee or CSEA for a

review of the grievance and shall issue a short, plain written statement of
reasons for its decision to the employee or CSEA, as appropriate, no later
than twenty (20) working days following receipt of the Step 1 appeal.

(c) Step Three*. An appeal from an unsatisfactory decision at Step 2

shall be filed by CSEA through its Director of Contract Administration or
his or her designee, on forms to be provided by the State with the Director
of the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations, or designated

*CSEA, if it requests a meeting in its Step 3 appeal of a grievance filed
under Article 34.1(b), shall be entitled to meet with the Director of the

Governor’s Office of Employee Relations, or the Director’s designee,
before a decision is issued.

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