For the past five months, I have been working on finalizing the second edition of The Union Steward's Guide to Dealing with Workplace Bullying. This was a book that refused to settle down and often mirrored the chaos in our national environment. Minor errors and printing problems kept popping up. Even as I worked on sections covering the backup support of federal agencies that were being dismantled, I persevered, maintaining my faith in a judicial system that would not allow an authoritarian despot to strip away the few protections that most workers have. Of course, these are not the same agencies that Trump attempted to dismantle in 2016 with his first attempt to undermine worker protections. However, the fact that they still exist is hopeful when faced with an administration that relies on retaliation as a means of governance.
The fact is that unions represent one of the most powerful means of protection for workers in the United States, despite their tendency, like many organizations, towards toxicity and corruption. This is why Trump wants so desperately to dismantle the National Labor Relations Board. Unions—despite their many problems —still represent a form of democracy in action while providing much-needed and seldom available direct support in the working environment. This support depends on well-trained union stewards who are supported by their organization. This training is what The Union Steward's Guide hopes to provide.
Union stewards and their bargaining unit counterparts have the distinct advantage of being equal to management in terms of worker protections against unreasonable, discriminatory, and harassing behaviors. While this Union Steward's Guide primarily focuses on California State government workers, the book also provides a process map for determining how to build a bullying case that will withstand abusive management, along with strategy tips and communication tips for dealing with abusive managers. One chapter focuses on supporting the member who is often stressed and suffering from trauma due to undeserved abuse.
My co-author, Jeffrey Recht (retired. SEIU Local 1000 steward), and I hope this book will find additional stewards in other states who will want to work with us to create training guides to detail the laws and pathways available in their states, along with their hard-earned strategy tips and insights. Overall, we hope this training approach can strengthen the union's stance against workplace bullying and harassment.
The United States of America clearly has a bullying problem that needs to be addressed from the top down. We are currently seeing the results of what a bully can do to federal worker protections and the chaos that results from narcissistic authoritarianism as an approach to a "management style." Bullying is an excuse to abuse. It has never been a management style that works. It harms workers, makes them sick, damages their brains, and affects families in the most negative ways possible.
Workplace bullying is like having domestic violence in the workplace. It's long past time for states to adopt a solid anti-bullying law that holds abusers accountable and protects whistleblowers and targeted workers from being harmed for simply doing their jobs and being accountable to the rules. Companies (and the federal government) should be willing to extend a duty of care to their employees to protect them from this undeserved abuse, often from those who are their best employees and most valuable yet unrecognized assets.
The Union Steward’s Guide to Dealing with Workplace Bullying: Featuring the Bad Boss Campaign is currently available on Amazon.com for a discounted price in order to make it more accessible in these times of whiplash tariffs and climbing expenses.
Take a Stand Against Workplace Bullying
Now more than ever, union stewards and worker advocates must be equipped with the tools and knowledge to defend their members from abuse, retaliation, and toxic management. The Union Steward’s Guide to Dealing with Workplace Bullying is more than a book—it's a battle plan for protecting workers and rebuilding a culture of respect and accountability in our workplaces.
Grab your copy today at a discounted price on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4dBRlOM
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