Two different situations wear the same “in trouble” label: employer discipline at work (your contract) and internal union charges (our constitution + the OPEIU disciplinary procedure). Know which one you’re in.
If the union charges you: you have a federal-law floor (written charges, time to prepare, a fair hearing), plus our constitution’s protections — discipline only for defined reasons, one required procedure, an impartial Trial Board, and the right to appeal.
If your employer disciplines you: representation flows from the contract (not an automatic legal right under the RLA), and a steward is your first call — the detail lives in REP101.
In either case: don’t go it alone, reach out early, keep records, and know your appeals exist.
Next, Lesson 5 turns to something every member deals with directly: dues — where they go, and the choices you have.
