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Our attorneys have countered union organizing campaigns for our clients, litigated matters pertaining to NLRB representation elections, and defended employers accused of committing unfair labor practices (ULPs) in hearings before the NLRB and on petitions to review filed with the federal appellate courts.
Labor Arbitration
Many unionized employers are signatory to collective bargaining agreements with labor organizations that provide that all disputes shall be resolved through final and binding arbitration. We have represented our clients before labor arbitrators on numerous occasions on various issues, including the arbitrability of a grievance, contract interpretation and discharge and discipline.
Union-Affiliated Trust Funds
Many unionized employers are signatory to collective bargaining agreements with labor organizations that require them to remit contributions on behalf of covered employees to union-affiliated Taft-Hartley trust funds. Representatives of health and welfare and/or pension trust funds sometimes conduct “audits” of our clients’ books and records and allege that all required contributions have not been made. We defend employers in federal court in lawsuits brought by union-affiliated Taft-Hartley trust funds, several of which have resulted in published decisions favorable to unionized employers.
Collective Bargaining
Once a labor organization has been recognized or certified as the exclusive bargaining representative of employees in an appropriate bargaining unit, an employer is required to negotiate in good faith with the union over terms and conditions of employment to be included in a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Attorneys of our firm have negotiated numerous CBAs over the years, including the first multi-employer CBA with the SEIU covering security officers in the Bay Area, a multi-employer CBA with the Teamsters Union covering parking attendants in San Francisco, the first multi-employer CBA with the SEIU covering security officers in Los Angeles, and CBAs on behalf of several major hospitals in California.
Strikes, Picketing and Boycotts
Occasionally a labor organization may employ various legal and/or illegal economic weapons in an attempt to persuade an employer to accept or acquiesce to its position. We provide advice to employers regarding proactive and defensive options available to them in the event a union engages in various forms of concerted activities toward them, including strikes, picketing and/or boycotts.