(Revised by Keith Knauss, Labor Studies, IUSB 2/01)

A. Day-to-Day Tools

1. Read "Cyber Union", Shostak, 1999, and integrate computer technology into all aspects of the union's daily activities.
2. (Inter)national Collective Bargaining Agreement (if Local is covered by such), Local Agreement and any supplements such as Memos of Understanding, Letters of Intent, and the like.
3. Local Union, Intermediate Body, and (Inter)national Union Constitutions, By-Laws and Rules of Order.
4. Names, addresses and phone numbers of all Local Union officials including executive board, committees, stewards, and the like, as well as the same for business agents or (inter)national staff representatives, etc.
5. Seniority list.
6. Palm pilot, laptop, or notepad to keep diary of daily activities.
7. Calendar for keeping track of your meetings, classes, and the like.
8. Grievance file, including arbitration cases.
9. Materials from labor education programs.
10. Union Building Board.
11. Official Union and other labor organization Literature, Mailings, and Policy Statements.
12. Libraries (see separate descriptions under "In-Depth Research Sources" ).
13. Daily and weekly news media, both print and electronic.
14. Health and Safety Regulations.
15. Health Insurance, Pension, and similar information booklets.
16. Employer publications such as Management Policies, Shop Rules, Newsletters, and the like.

B. Direct Contact Sources

1. Local Union Members, Executive Board Bargaining Committee, Other Committees, Stewards, etc.
2. Full time (Inter)national Union Staff Representative(s) and/or Local Union Business Agent(s).
3. Union State/Council/Region/(Inter)national Organization Offices and Officers including your Union's various Departments.
4. AFL-CIO Councils, UAW-CAP Councils, and similar "umbrella" organizations at the local, state, regional, and national levels.
5. Your Employer.
6. Labor Division, United Way of St. Joseph County and United Labor Agency of Elkhart County.
7. In addition to offices in Indianapolis, Chicago, and/or Washington, many state and federal agencies have an office in this area. Consult area telephone directories or check with a public library for Toll-Free phone numbers. Among those agencies with offices in Michiana are:
   • Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT), United States Department of Labor (USDOL)
   • Federal Mediation and conciliation Service (FMCS)
   • Indiana Workforce Development Service(WDS)
   • Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
   • Social Security Administration (SSA)
   • Veterans Administration (VA)
   • Wage and Hour Division (USDOL)
   
   EEO/FEP

8. The city of ELkhart has a Human Relations Office and the City of South Bend has a Human Rights office which investigate discrimination charges. See your local telephone directory.
   Indiana Civil RIghts Commission (ICRC), Indiana Government Center North, Room N103, 100 N. Senate Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46204 - Ph#(800)628-2909 - Fax#(317)232-6580 - Website www.state.in.us/icrc
   Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Indiana District Office, 101 W. Ohio St., Suite 1900, Indianapolis, IN 46204 - Ph#(317)226-7212 or if calling within Indiana, (800) 669-4000 - Fax#(317)226-7953

9. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP), 429 N. Pennsylvania St., Room 308, Indianapolis, IN 46204 - Ph#(317)226-5860 - Fax#(317)226-5878 - Website www.dol.gov/dol/esa/public/ofcp_org.htm
   
   NLRA/LMRA

10. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Region 25, 238 Federal Office Building, 575 North Pennsylvania, Indianapolis, IN 46204 - Ph#(317)226-7430 - Fax#(317)226-5103 - Website www.nlrb.gov
    
    Indiana K-12 Teacher Labor Relations

11. Indiana Education Employment Relations Board (IEERB), 100 N. Senate Ave., Room N1049, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2211 - Ph#(317)233-6620 - Fax#(317)233-6632 - Website www.ai.org/ieereb
    
    LMRDA

12. Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS), Chicago Area Office (Services 35 northern counties of Indiana), Federal Office Building, 230 South Dearborn Street, Room 774, Chicago, IL 60604 - Ph#(312)596-7160 - Website www.dol.gov/dol/esa/public/olms_org.htm
    
    ERISA

13. Pension Welfare Benefits Administration, 200 W. Adams St., Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60606 - Ph#(312)353-0900 - Fax#(312)353-1023 - Website www.erisa.org

14. Pensioin Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), 1200 K Street, N.W., Suite 930, Washington, DC 20005-4026 - Ph#(202)326-4000 - Website www.pbgc.gov
    
    OSH

15. Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA), Department of Labor, 402 W. Washington, Room W195, Indianapolis, IN 46204 - Ph#(317)232-2685 - Fax#(317)233-3790 - Website www.ai.org/labor
    OSHA, Region V, Room 3244, Federal Building, 230 South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60604 - Ph#(312)353-2220 - Fax#(312)353-7774 - Website www.osha.gov

16. Worker's Compensation Act, Administered by the Workers Compensation Board of Indiana Government Center South Room W196, 402 W. Washington, Indianapolis, IN 46204 - Ph#(317)232-3808 - Website www.state.in.us/wkcomp
    
    OTHER INDIANA STATE LABOR LAWS

17. Indiana State Division of Labor, 402 W. Washington, Room W195, Indianapolis, IN 46204 - Ph#(317)232-2663 - Fax#(317)233-3790 - Website www.state.in.us/labor
    
    GENERAL ASSISTANCE IN FINDING ANSWERS

18. Local, State and National Elected Officials and their appointees.
    Federal Information Center, P.O. Box 600, Cumberland, MD 21502 - Ph#(800)688-9889 - To get access to US Government federal and state websites, use: www.info.gov

19. Indiana State Information Center, Indiana Government Center North, 100 N. Senate, Room N551, Indianapolis, IN 46204 - Ph#(800)457-8283 - Website www.state.in.us

C. In-Depth Research Sources

Many of the items listed previously are also sources for in-depth research. What you don't know about your members, union, employer, and rights or responsibilities, CAN hurt you!

1. Libraries
   Local, college, and university libraries are outstanding places to do research. Libraries often have, or can provide access to much of the information available about or from the contacts or sources throughout this list.
   For example, the IUSB Library has thousands of materials which will help you to research employers, industries, occupations, and laws, as well as local, state and national statistics. If you've never used the IUSB Library, or any other library for that matter, you best bet is to walk in and ask for a REFERENCE LIBRARIAN. He or she can get you on the road to finding the answers you need for becoming a better prepared, more informed union leader. There are also numerous guides to conducting research on employers and topics.

2. Publicly Available Employer Documents and Reports
   Many employers are required to file reports with various state and federal agencies. You can get some of these reports by contacting the appropriate agency, through commercial sources, or at libraries.
   1. EXAMPLE -- for films which sell stock to the public, reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can be very useful. Contacts:
      1. Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20549 - Ph#(202)942-8088 - Website www.sec.gov

      2. Disclosure, Inc., 5161 River Rd., Bethesda, Maryland 20816 - Ph#(800)638-8241 - Fax#(800)579-2598 - Website www.disclosure.com

   2. EXAMPLE -- Employers with facilities in Indiana are supposed to file with the Indiana Secretary of State. These documents can be very useful. Contacts:
      1. Indiana Secretary of State Corporations Division, 302 W. Washington, Room E018, Indianapolis, IN 46204 - Ph#(317)232-6576 - Fax#(800)726-8000 - Website www.ai.org/sos

3. Websites and On-Line Databases
   1. Many organizations have websites that can be accessed through the Internet.
      If you are a currently enrolled credit student at IUSB, you can access the Internet.
      If you have a computer, or other web appliance, then you can access the Internet, websites, and "on-line databases". These are electronically available collections of data. Everything from labor law decisions to arbitration cases to cooking recipes to news stories to corporate financial data can be found through the Internet.
      There may be subscription fees, charges for time on-line, and other costs involved. However, carefully planning your use may save many hours of your time compared to more traditional forms of library and primary source research.

   2. Access to databases may also be available through your union or at public libraries. CHECK IT OUT!