Today in Labor History: June 19
The Women’s Day Massacre in Youngstown, Ohio, when police use tear gas on women and children, including at least one infant in his mother's arms, during a strike at Republic Steel. One union organizer later recalled, "When I got there I thought the Great War had started over again. Gas was flying all over the place and shots flying and flares going up and it was the first time I had ever seen anything like it in my life..." - 1937
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Member Tip: Employer Handbooks and Regulations
If you work for a company, especially a big one, chances are good that there’s a handbook with all sorts of rules on things like attendance, dealing with customers, and other specifics about what’s allowed and not allowed on the job.  Similarly, the typical government employer has agency regulations that control scheduling of time off, how inclement weather days are determined, and countless other topics.  These are areas that may or may not be addressed in the union contract.  Though they’re not likely to take precedence over specific terms of a contract, they may well be rules that are binding.
—Adapted from The Union Member's Complete Guide, by Michael Mauer