Labor Relations/Union Negotiations
Negotiating and Administering Union Contracts
Our Firm represents many large national employers who have facilities whose employees are represented by unions and advise them regarding negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements. We have arbitrated under FMCS, AAA or Civil Service procedures more than 500 formal personnel grievances, in both the private and public sectors, in the past 35 years. This work includes:
• Rejection of a collective bargaining agreement under the Bankruptcy Code.
• Successful defense of grievances by labor unions on contract interpretation issues such as sub-contracting, reduction in force, transfer clauses, shift schedule changes, drug and alcohol testing, smoke-free workplace policies, unilateral implementation of zero-tolerance policy; and on discipline issues such as discharge for violation of alcohol policy, violation of drug policy, insubordination, poor performance, abusive conduct, sexual harassment, attendance problems, manifestation of homicidal tendencies, and operational errors.
Strikes, Picketing and Boycotts
Our Firm has assisted employers in responding to strikes, picketing and boycotts, including successful petitions for injunctions to enforce no-strike clauses of collective bargaining agreements and injunctions against mass and violent picketing, regulating illegal strike and secondary boycott activity through National Labor Relations Board procedures.
This work includes successful management of nine-month grocery strike, which resulted in union accepting company's final offer made at outset of strike.
Traditional Labor Law and Maintaining
Non-Union Status
Our attorneys are among the most experienced in the nation in all areas of traditional labor law, such as counseling union-free employers regarding effective responses to union organizing campaigns and handling unfair labor practice charges before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In addition, the Firm counsels clients regarding the development of lawful positive employment practices and employee relations programs designed to foster employee support for union-free status. The Firm's attorneys are among the most experienced in the nation in preparing and presenting evidence and legal arguments before the National Labor Relations Board and the federal courts arising out of union organizing efforts. This work includes:
• Maintaining non-union status for over thirty years of largest non-union steel fabricator, including NLRB election victories culminating five distinct Steelworkers, Boiler-makers and Teamsters organizing drives.
• Successful drafting and lobbying of first state law preempting local regulatory authorities from requiring labor peace agreements (law adopted as model state law by ALEC, a national association of conservative state legislators).