Member tip for the week of June 17, 2013

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