This Manual has been prepared by the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board pursuant to his authority under Section 3(d) of the Act. It is designed only to provide operational and procedural guidance for the Agency's staff in administering the National Labor Relations Act. It is not intended to be a compendium of substantive or procedural law, nor a substitute for a knowledge of the law, evidence, or procedure. The matters contained herein are not General Counsel or Board rulings or directives and are not a form of authority binding on the General Counsel or the Board.