steward's corner

  • Striking Back against Picket Line Retaliation
    David Cohen
    Jan 13 2011 - 9:50am

    Verizon fired 40 union members in December for picket-line activity. Aren’t members protected in legally sanctioned strikes? Not always. But unions can prevent firings for strike conduct by mounting massive and disciplined activity that doesn’t allow the boss to target a few troublemakers.

  • Proving Disparate Treatment
    Robert Schwartz
    Oct 24 2009 - 1:15am

    Claiming “disparate treatment”—imposing harsher punishment on one employee than was imposed on others who committed the same offense—is one of the most effective union defenses against discipline, especially discharges.