Areas of Practice
Labor & Employment Law
Our labor attorneys have experience, both as corporate and special counsel, in all types of labor and personnel matters, from contract negotiations, including interest arbitration, to discrimination claims and other employment litigation. We represent employers in union recognition and unfair labor practice proceedings before the State and Federal Labor Relations and Educational Relations Boards, discrimination claims before the Illinois Human Rights Commission and Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, grievance arbitrations, and constitutional, statutory, and tort claims in the state and federal courts. We also advise our clients on contract enforcement issues as well as day to day issues related to discipline, grievance consultation and other human resource or personnel matters.
Our attorneys are also skilled in risk management of employment claims. We believe that litigation is often avoided or risk is reduced when employment matters are addressed effectively and timely at their start. We bring creative and practical solutions to the day-to-day human resource issues that confront our clients’ organizations, including developing policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the law and enforcement of work rules and designing and implementing personnel downsizing and restructuring.
The following are a few examples of our recent labor and employment projects:
- Negotiated to agreement initial collective bargaining agreements for municipal police departments and fire department units.
- Negotiated to agreement numerous successor collective bargaining agreements for police, fire and public works personnel.
- Successfully represented several municipalities in interest arbitrations.
- Successfully represented police and fire chiefs in prosecution of discharge charges before Boards of Fire and Police Commissioners.
- Successfully defended numerous municipalities in grievance arbitration regarding various alleged contract violations.
- Successfully defended numerous employers in IDHR and EEOC charges.
- Represented various units of local government in union representation cases, achieving appropriate exclusions from proposed bargaining units.
- Conducted supervisor and manager training for public and private employers on labor and employment and best practices in workplace procedures.
- Successfully represented numerous municipal employers in PEDA and PSEBA claims.
- Assist employers in policy development and proper application of FMLA, ADA and other related leave entitlements.
Contact: Paul A. O’Grady