In December 2005, Yvonna Smith lost her job.

An office employee, she was laid off despite a long and clean work record. Worse yet, she said, it was all office politics. A new leadership team came in and gave Smith’s job to someone else.

“I had 19 years in, but I was gone,” she said.

Now Smith is back. And she has unionized along with her co-workers Nancy Yoke and Sherri Hunley. They’ve gained a contract, complete with collective bargaining and grievance procedures. Read more here.