Our lawyers have extensive experience representing management in all aspects of labor relations and union avoidance. We work with clients around the country in both right-to-work and non-right-to-work states. We understand the value of managing labor relations in competitive and distressed industries. Our clients range from Fortune 100 companies and large private equity backed businesses to community health centers. We represent clients in manufacturing, healthcare, higher education, human services, paper, fuel oil, pharmaceutical, insurance/financial, trucking, transportation, construction, hospitality, gaming, elevator, aerospace and governmental industries.
Our Services
We provide advice and representation on the full labor relations and union avoidance spectrum to help our clients attain their objectives, including:
Our Team
As a dedicated labor relations practice within a full service regional law firm, we regularly partner with our firm's industry groups, including manufacturing, education, health care, and construction, and draw upon the resources and experience of our firm’s practices, including corporate, environmental, health & safety, criminal, trial and appellate, governmental relations and incentives, and compensation and employee benefits. As part of coordinated teams, our labor practitioners are able to add significant value for clients as they work to attain their business and management objectives.
Counseled numerous employers, including recently an international chemical manufacturer, on labor relations strategy involving a permanent plant facility closure.
Represented and counseled health care employer during a successful decertification petition and election campaign involving a SEIU local union.
Prevailed in grievance arbitration involving the discharge for cause of a thirty-three year SEIU delegate.
Have served as chief spokesperson and lead negotiator in hundreds of negotiations that have involved the termination of defined benefit retirement plans.
Successfully defended company in labor arbitration against a claim that the Union had the right to take union stewards away from work for Union business without notification to or approval from the company.
Representation of a public-private partnership with the State of Connecticut in the process of bidding and negotiating a management agreement with the Connecticut Department of Transportation to manage its rest areas. Robinson+Cole assisted the client in achieving compliance with state contracting requirements, standard wage laws and handling labor relations matters. Robinson+Cole also assisted the client in avoiding tail end withdrawal if the contractor ceased performing cleaning and maintenance services on the properties.
Assisted a Water Pollution Control Authority with the labor relations issues involving a subcontract of its WCPA operations and possible transition to the municipality after the subcontract terminates.
Defended a municipal client before the State Board of Labor Relations by reaffirming its right to subcontract bargaining unit work in two separate challenges. The two cases were withdrawn during the investigation phase, as a result of our compelling arguments in favor of the municipality's right to subcontract.
Successfully negotiated numerous municipal collective bargaining agreements that addressed management objectives involving cost containment in the areas of pension, health insurance, overtime, salary schedules, and call-in pay.
Prevailed in labor arbitration regarding contract interpretation and involving the discipline of two employees who left work early because the Union claimed that the collective bargaining agreement established a maximum workweek.
