Union Representation
As an employee, you may have a right to the presence and counsel of a union representative at a meeting where your conduct is being questioned and you reasonably believe disciplinary action may result. If you are in doubt about whether you are entitled to union representation, ask for it anyway.
Weingarten Rights
"Weingarten rights" refer to an employee's right to be accompanied by a union or other representative at an employer-conducted interview that the employee reasonably believes may result in disciplinary action against him or her. Although the Weingarten case in which the U.S. Supreme Court first recognized this right involved private sector employees, the NYS legislature has passed legislation to give similar rights to public employees.
