Union member resources that are good for all employees
Work Rights Press has recently updated their manual on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and I use the occasion to comment on their other publications that are among the most useful for any worker who is challenging the boss on any issue. In particular, I highly recommend The Legal Rights of Union Stewards, available in English and Spanish. This book is a necessity for any union steward, and is also extremely useful for other rank-and-file activists. My favorite part starts at p. 37 and lists ways workers can legally pressure a boss to adopt the union position on a grievance. Too many workers just file the grievance and wait for a decision. If activist workers want to win the grievance, they need to think strategically about how to campaign for it. Work Rights Press also sells cards (25¢ each) that tell workers what to say when the boss calls them in for questioning. By exercising so-called Weingarten rights, a worker can save his or her job by asking for attendance of a union steward or another supportive coworker.
I also recommend Labor Notes, a monthly magazine about the struggles of working people to organize and make their jobs and unions better. It was through Labor Notes that I learned about Work Rights Press.
Whistleblowers, in particular, face the risk of discipline and other adverse actions on trumped up pretexts. Having a union adds a layer of protection. When I was a union member, I made sure my steward had a copy of The Legal Rights of Union Stewards. Even if you don't have a union, it is a good thing to know your rights and to learn from the experiences of others who have suffered in the cause.
