The Union Member's Complete Guide: Everything You Want -- And Need -- To Know About Working Union

An easy-to-read, comprehensive guide to how you can get the most out of your job in a unionized workplace -- from understanding what a union is and how it operates to how you can get the most value out of your union card and what you can do to make your union more successful.

* Understanding how unions operate
* Getting your say in contract demands
* The full story on union dues
* A union's responsibility to its members
* Getting help with workplace problems
* Your union card's bonus benefits
* A member's rights and responsibilities
* Labor laws that affect you
* How to file a grievance
* Your union steward's role
* Contact info for every union

---

All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Know if your union is helping you, 2007-11-01
This book gave me timely advice when I needed it, As a reference guide this book is worth having if your in a union.


3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Reminded me of some things I've forgotten & even taught me some new stuff!, 2006-11-22
I've been active in my teacher's union for over 20 years, but even
with that background, I found THE UNION MEMBER'S COMPLETE
GUIDE by Michael Mauer to be a most worthwhile book to read . . . it
reminded me of some things that I had forgotten and even taught me some
new stuff as well.

Mauer, director of organizing and services for the American Association
of University Professors, really knows his stuff . . . you can tell he has
an extensive union background from reading virtually any page, and
you'll appreciate how he takes almost anything a union member needs
to know (e.g., how to file a grievance) and breaks it down into steps
to follow that are easily understood.

I particularly liked his breakdown on an employee's right to have
a union representative, a situation we too often have to deal with
at my college . . . as he notes, under "Weingarten rights," an employee
has the legal right to have a union representative--but not a
lawyer--present during a meeting with management if all
of the following conditions are met:

1. The meeting is an investigatory interview. This means that
you are expected to answer questions in connection with an inquiry
into possible wrongdoing or unacceptable behavior. Weingarten rights
do not cover meetings where the communication is one-way; that is,
when the purpose is merely to convey information to you or to notify
you of a decision already made regarding discipline.

2. Disciplinary action may result from the meeting. The law requires
only that disciplinary action--of any severity--is one possible result
of the meeting.

3. You "reasonably believe" that disciplinary action may result. If there
is a legal dispute over whether your concern about possible disciplinary
action is "reasonable," the determination will be made based on all the
circumstances surrounding the meeting: Has your supervisor previously
raised the possibility of discipline? Have other employees already been
disciplined for what you're accused of? Are you already working under
the threat of a performance warning letter?

4. You make a request for representation. This is another way Weingarten
rights differ from Miranda rights: your employer generally is under no
obligation to inform you of your right to be represented. It's up to you
to know your rights, and to assert them.

The above is so good that I'm going to copy it and share with
several of our union officers . . . in fact, there's a lot more that is
worth sharing . . . do yourself a favor and get Mauer's book for
any prospective or future member who really wants to understand
what it means to belong to a union.



3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

this book IS still in print, 2006-01-18
(note from the author)
The review below calls for some elaboration. A pirated hardcover edition of the book was in fact withdrawn from publication, but the genuine, paperback edition is still in print and available from Amazon.


0 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

Out of print, 2005-10-01
The book was out of print but my money was promptly refunded.


11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

A book to use, 2002-04-08
I purchased this book and gave it to a friend to read who had problems at work with a recent contract in which she and others were neglected in the pay increases. Michael Mauer's book is written in such an easy and practical style that it gave her the confidence to initiate an unfair labor practice with the National Labor Relations Board which was signed by the others in her department. The ULP was denied because it was not filed within the 6 months time frame but my friend is confident that the union will not forget them in the next contract. Kudos to Mr. Mauer for writing such a practical and useful book.

Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.