The employee can request union representation before or at any time during the interview.
When an employee asks for representation, the employer must choose from among three options:
Grant the request and delay questioning until the union representative arrives;
Deny the request and end the interview immediately; or
Give the employee a choice of: (a) having the interview without representation or (b) ending the interview.
If the employer denies the request for union representation and continues the meeting, the employee can refuse to answer questions.
Serve as a witness to prevent a supervisor from giving a false account of the conversation;
Object to intimidation tactics or confusing questions;
Help an employee to avoid making fatal admissions;
Advise an employee, when appropriate, against denying everything, thereby giving the appearance of dishonesty and guilt;
Warn an employee against losing his or her temper;
Discourage an employee from informing on others; and
Raise extenuating factors.
WEINGARTEN CARD
(If called to a meeting with management read the following or present this card to management when the meeting begins.)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, officer, or steward be present at this meeting.
The above information was obtained from the following excerpt: Schwarts, Robert. “The Legal Rights of Union Stewards: Robert M. Schwartz …” Work Right Press, 2018, www.workrightspress.com.