How to Hand Off a Union Representation Case

Prepare a handoff another representative can use

Use a handoff when a steward is away, assignments change, a matter moves to another representative or new leadership inherits ongoing casework. A folder link alone does not explain the current position. A long narrative alone may hide the one action that cannot wait.

Prepare a concise summary, point to the authoritative records and confirm who accepts the next task. Keep the full history in the case file rather than copying everything into another document. The worksheet is a working aid for authorized representatives, not a substitute for your union’s assignment rules or any required formal notice.

Put the next action at the top

Identify the case reference, matter type, current stage, outgoing representative and proposed receiving representative. State why the handoff is happening and when the change is intended to take effect. Then write the immediate next action in plain language.

For example, “Review the response and confirm the next procedural step” is more useful than “case active.” Name the action owner and any backup. Distinguish a preparation target from a procedural deadline, and identify what needs urgent attention before other background reading.

If an important date is unconfirmed, label it as awaiting review and name the reviewer. Do not let an incomplete worksheet delay contact with the appropriate representative about a potentially time-sensitive matter.

Summarize the position without rewriting the history

Explain the concern, the remedy requested, the actions taken and the current response or decision. Distinguish what the member reports, what the documents show and what the union has decided. A receiving representative should be able to find the supporting source for each important statement.

• Brief issue summary and affected member or group.
• Current stage and the last completed action.
• Important communications, meetings or filings already recorded.
• Open questions, disputed facts and decisions still needed.
• Requested remedy and any agreement or follow-up obligation.

Record a pending obligation separately from a completed outcome. An agreement to provide a remedy does not show that it has been delivered. Link related matters where useful, but explain the relationship instead of assuming the new representative already knows it.

Review deadlines and pending commitments together

Grievance procedures and deadlines depend on the applicable CBA, policy, statute and jurisdiction. Include the governing document and version, relevant provision, triggering event and supporting record for each active procedural date. Preserve the calculation and reviewer, not only the resulting date.

List pending extension requests separately from confirmed changes. For a documented extension, retain the original date, supporting communication, revised date and the action it affects. The receiving representative should be able to verify the record rather than reconstruct it from an email subject line.

Also record internal commitments: a promised member update, a document request, a preparation meeting or an approval still needed. These may affect the work even when they are not procedural deadlines. Use the deadline review guide for the supporting checklist.

Transfer access to the right records

Provide the approved location of the case file and a short list of the most important documents. Identify the version actually filed or sent, relevant responses, contract references and any record supporting a deadline or agreement. Clearly label drafts and internal notes.

Have the receiving representative confirm that the links work and that their access is appropriate. Share through your organization’s approved process; do not transfer passwords or give broad access simply to solve one missing-document problem. Ask the responsible administrator to address an access issue.

Keep sensitive material within its existing handling restrictions. A handoff summary can identify the location and authorized custodian of a restricted record without reproducing its contents. Follow the applicable retention and access rules when an assignment ends.

Confirm responsibility and the communication plan

Arrange a short review of the immediate task, unresolved questions and available records. Record when the receiving representative acknowledged the handoff and accepted responsibility for the next action. Merely sending a message does not establish that it was received or understood.

If the new representative has not accepted, keep that exception visible and involve the person responsible for assignments. Follow the union’s coverage procedure so an urgent task does not sit between two people who each believe the other owns it.

Agree who will update the member and other authorized participants about the change. Record any next contact date. Where the governing procedure requires a formal notice or substitution, have the appropriate representative check and complete it; the worksheet itself is not that notice.

Check that the handoff worked

At the agreed follow-up, confirm that the new representative can identify the next task, locate its supporting documents and explain any open deadline questions. Update the authoritative case assignment and task record according to your process, and record anything still blocked.

For a new matter, start with the grievance intake checklist. For an ongoing matter, preserve the existing record and add the handoff as a dated event. This keeps the change in responsibility visible within the full case history.

Review this guide and the worksheet against your organization’s procedures before adopting them. They describe administrative recordkeeping, not legal advice or a universal representation process.