In case you're wondering. Mary is not a real person--and Pleasant Township is not a real place--although she certainly could be an AFT member in any one of dozens of school districts. The problem she faces probably sounds familiar to many custodians.

What's more, she could be a paraprofessional forced to take on secretarial duties, a food service worker suddenly asked to use new equipment she had never been trained on, a bus driver injured while lifting a disabled student, a college secretary dealing with a cramped workspace and poor ventilation, or countless other PSRPs.

We put this story together to illustrate an important point: Unions do much more than just react and solve problems. Unions serve their members in ways that most might not even realize. Mary's scenario is intended to show how a local union--your union--works to solve problems, in this case with the help of its state and national affiliates.