Key Words and Phrases

The first step to knowing your contract is determining what it actually says. Key words and phrases that appear in a labor union contract may have meanings that may not be obvious. Also, some words and phrases used in the contract may have very different meanings compared with the way an average person uses them in general conversation.

Arbitrators have amassed more than enough information through their decisions over time to give us a better understanding of the way contract language works and what negotiators of a contract should seek when negotiating contract language.

Caution! You should always confer with your PEF Field Representative when trying to interpret contract language.