Hi Emmy, thanks for response. hope you are doing okay....my experience with the actual union rep was okay - the rep was really supportive and on my side, but it seemed there was a lot of politics going on behind the scenes, and he was unable to support me how he wanted to and was actually taken off my case! Before this experience I was not quite so negative about the whole thing, and prepared to 'fight', but it did open my eyes to how things can be, and it was a bit of shock, hence now my caution. I say it with regret really, as all the fight has been taken out of me and I would never get involved in that kind of thing again; it is so stressful and you have to be and feel really strong. I think that's the problem which you mentioned - about fighting the battle alone, as that is how it was; and depression makes you feel like that anyway.
hugs to you Emmy