how can our union allow the company to put anyone they chose anywhere with out using plant seniority?

Question

we have a certain amount of dozens that we are suppost to put out each month we are below our dozens the company has now taken six union employees and placed them in the warehouse they did not go by plant senority they picked who they wanted according to who they thought was not needed on their job the thing is there is this one girl who is the only one on her job they took her and our cuff girl plus our utility girl now they are saying they can put anyone on those jobs and if your dozens are done on your job then they can basically drop your pay and pay base rate now how can the company do this what can we do to help our selfs because our union rep isnt doing to much i realize they need to get thier orders out but i want the company to be fair for ex take our only baste zipper person and put someone else on that job that can not sew as much and pay her less money than if she was to be doing her own job

we have talked to our union rep she cannot give us one answere why they did this the way they did she doesnt suggest that we file a grievence she says if we dont like then go to the union meeting which will be after the order is done and what can change then the damage is already done they are changing when we get the curve and our training time if we are put on new job we only get 18 hours traing time it use to be 40hours I have been there ten and a half years and the company says we have been doing it wrong all along i asked what about past practices and they told me it doesnt matter we were reading the contract wrongall this time if we were then so wasnt the company i just dont get it and i dont know who else to turn to if we cant get the people we voted in to fight for what we believe to be right then where do we go, its almost like what ever the company says go how can they all thesudden say that they can basically stick you on any job as long as they feel like it .

Answer 1

If this is a breech of union contract, which I'm assuming that it is, your union officials, and shop stewards need to be raising some hell right about now. The company has flagrantly disregarded the labor contract, and it is going to take union solidarity to straighten this out, this means everyone filing a grievance for breech of contract. Contact your regional union Representative, to arrange a meeting with the plant manager. This is going to take everyone in your union local getting involved, if you want to fight this.
Let me know how this turns out. Best Regards!