The key role trade unions is to negotiate the contracts of it members with organizations’ management outlining the working terms and conditions which include wages, working schedules and the time the employer plans to engage its members. As required by the labor relations processes unions also pay a role in resolving disputes that involve its members. The procedures followed when engaging the employers when it comes to enforcing and resolving disputes over specific clauses or the general contracts are agreed upon.

It’s of the arbitrator’s opinion that, the idea of CBA as far as bereavement leave is concerned is unclear and ambiguous since contiguous is not well expounded upon. The lack of previously documented practice to be relied upon as reference also acted as a barrier.  The arbitrator thus resorted to individual interpretation represented by the section’s jargon.  According to him, the request made asking for leave as from Sunday did not comply with the CBA since the person asking for leave worked in a shift although even after learning about the death. Contrary to this, when the employer agreed to grant leave on Sunday it couldn’t be easy to object it for the following two days as they were undoubtedly contiguous to Sunday. 

Bereavement comes about uninvited, since it’s a natural phenomenon, with the difficulties to predict when it will happen, the employer and the union should consider reviewing the bereavement phrases in the CBA so that its able to accommodate all situation as far as death is considered. This statement is made with the consideration that when an employee is bereaved while an organization is at peak in operation, the employer fears the void that the worker will leave. By specifying the specific days one should be away for a bereavement leave also proves difficult.