39th Annual Illinois Public Sector Labor Relations and Labor Law Conference

Randi Hammer Abramsky Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator

Ms. Abramsky began her legal career with Vedder, Price, Kaufman and Kammholz in Chicago in 1981, after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law. In 1986, she became General Counsel of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board- and spoke at her first Kent Law School Public Sector Labor Conference.  In 1988, became a Board Member with the IELRB. She started her arbitration practice around that time.

In 1991, Ms. Abramsky relocated to Toronto, Ontario, and after obtaining an LL.M in Canadian labor law, started arbitrating and mediating in Ontario (as well as continuing in the U.S.). Ms. Abramsky has been a full-time mediator and arbitrator, practicing in both locales, since that time.

She is also active in the National Academy of Arbitrators, and is President of the Ontario Labour Management Arbitrators’ Association.

David Amerson Related Seminars and Products

Staff Attorney

Policemen's Benevolent & Protective Association of IL

David Amerson is a staff attorney with the Police Benevolent Labor Committee. David is also the Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section Council, and is an adjunct faculty member with the University of Illinois’ Labor Education Program. Previously, David was the coordinator of AFSCME Retirees - Chapter 31, and Executive Vice-President of the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans. He has also represented federal workers in the legal department of the AFGE, and as a legal advisor to the Graduate Employee Organization (IFT-AFT). Additionally, David provides legal counsel to a number of national non-profits.  He is a graduate of the University of Illinois- College of Law and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

Margaret Angelucci Related Seminars and Products

Shareholder

Asher Gittler & D'Alba Ltd.

Margaret Angelucci is a shareholder with the firm and has been in practice since 1994.  Since then, she has represented the interests of working people in a variety of capacities.  Margaret represents labor unions and individual employees in both the public and private sectors. In the labor context, Margaret’s practice runs the full gamut of the labor-management relationship, including training union staff, union organizing drives, contract negotiations, contract enforcement, grievances, arbitrations, interest arbitrations and unfair labor practice proceedings. 

In her practice, Margaret routinely appears in state and federal courts, and before the Illinois Labor Relations Board, Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, the National Labor Relations Board, the EEOC, the Department of Labor, and various civil service boards. 

Carlos S. Arevalo Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins, Ltd.

A panelist at the Public Sector Labor Conference for several years, Carlos Arévalo has been practicing law for more than 20 years and has significant experience in representing Illinois public sector clients in the areas of labor and employment law involving benefits, termination, discipline, labor arbitration and collective bargaining, as well as local government law. He also represents clients in state and federal court and in administrative proceedings before the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, Illinois Department of Human Rights, Illinois Labor Relations Board and more. Carlos also represents private sector clients, including profit and non-profit entities as well as individuals. Additionally, Carlos served as a member of the Board of Trustees for McHenry County College. He was president of the McHenry County Bar Association and Stateline SHRM Chapter. Carlos continues to be active in leadership for the Illinois State Bar Association’s labor and employment and local government related committees, frequently speaking on these issues at the state and local level. Carlos is a member of the Leadership Greater McHenry County Class of 2013 and sits on the Regional Board of the Mercy Health System

Leah Bartelt Related Seminars and Products

Public Access Counselor

Illinois Attorney General’s Office

Leah Bartelt is the Access Counselor in the Public Access Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.  She joined the office in January 2015. The Public Access Bureau works to educate public bodies and citizens about the Illinois Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Acts, and to address allegations that public bodies have violated those laws. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Leah practiced law with the ACLU of Illinois and Sidley Austin LLP, and served as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Leah is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Chicago.

Mark W. Bennett Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Laner Muchin, Ltd.

Mark joined Laner Muchin in 1997 as an associate and has been a partner at the Firm since 2003. He regularly negotiates collective bargaining agreements on behalf of employers for bargaining units ranging from four (4) to approximately 37,000 employees. Mark also regularly represents employers in Union election and representation cases and unfair labor practice cases before the National Labor Relations Board, the Illinois Labor Relations Board, and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.

Mark also represents employers in charges of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights. In addition, he provides advice to employers on nearly a daily basis on labor and employment law issues, as well as representing employers in labor matters before independent arbitrators.

Mark has taught courses on labor relations at Benedictine University, is a regular speaker on labor issues at the Chicago-Kent School of Law Public Sector Labor Law Forum, and has conducted seminars for management personnel on legal and practical employment relations matters. Mark also served as an Extern with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board handling traditional labor law issues while in law school.

Steven M. Bierig Related Seminars and Products

Attorney-Arbitrator-Mediator

Attorney-Arbitrator-Mediator

Steven M. Bierig is engaged in the full-time practice of arbitration and mediation specializing in labor and employment disputes on a national basis. He has received both Ad Hoc appointments as well as being a member of numerous arbitration panels. Those panels have included the USPS and its constituent Unions, the City of Chicago and its constituent Unions, the Chicago Board of Education and Chicago Teachers Union, the State of Illinois and AFSCME, the National Elevator Bargaining Association, the FAA and NATCA, the AFA and IBT and United Airlines. Mr. Bierig has served as a contract mediator for the EEOC and is the mediator of medical disputes between the City of Chicago and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #7. In 2016 and 2019, Mr. Bierig served as the Fact-Finder for the Chicago Board of Education and the Chicago Teachers Union. Mr. Bierig is a referee for the National Mediation Board and is affiliated with FMCS, AAA and the Illinois Department of Labor. He serves on the roster of arbitrators for the Illinois Labor and Educational Relations Board. He is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators and a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
Mr. Bierig has served as an Adjunct Professor at IIT/Chicago Kent College of Law, He currently serves as an instructor at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and is an Adjunct Professor at the UIC School of Law. He has written numerous articles on labor and employment issues and lectures frequently on the topic.
Mr. Bierig received his J.D. with high honors from IIT/Chicago Kent College of Law. Prior to becoming a full time neutral, Mr. Bierig was engaged in the practice of labor law on the management side as a Senior Attorney Supervisor at the City of Chicago Law Department and was an attorney in the Labor and Employment Department at the Chicago Office of Katten Muchin & Zavis.

Victor Blackwell, JD Related Seminars and Products

Executive Director

Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board

David Born Related Seminars and Products

Commissionor

Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service (FMCS)

Commissioner David Born has worked for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) in the Chicago area for over 20 years. He previously served as the Regional Director of the former Chicago Region covering Illinois, Indiana and southern Wisconsin for over 5 years. Mr. Born and his local colleagues mediate labor and employment disputes in several sectors including private, public and federal. In his current role, Mr. Born provides services including grievance mediation, labor- management committee training and facilitation, relationship development and training programs, and other conflict resolution training. During his FMCS career, Mr. Born has had the honor of

being involved in several unique projects such as two missions to Haiti to establish conflict resolution systems and teach mediation skills in the garment industry; participate in the Department of Education's initiative to promote collaboration between school boards and educators; and since 2010 has worked with the City of Chicago Labor Management Committee for Healthcare, a two- time FMCS grant recipient for collaborative programs. Prior to Mr. Born’s employment with FMCS, he worked for the Teamsters in Chicago as an organizer, grievance representative and negotiator. He also worked for the National Labor Relations Board as an investigator and hearing officer. Mr. Born

earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in labor and industrial relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Thomas Bradley, Senior Counsel Related Seminars and Products

Of Counsel

Laner Muchin, Ltd.

Robert Bruno Related Seminars and Products

University of Illinois at Chicago

Lisa R. Callaway Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Engler Callaway Baasten & Sraga LLC

Matthew Carpenter Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73

Matt Carpenter is currently the General Counsel for SEIU Local 73. Prior to that, Matt practiced at a union-side labor law firm where he represented clients in both the private and public sectors.  Matt began his legal career as a general practitioner but soon thereafter took a position with a Michigan healthcare local. In that role, in addition to traditional staff attorney duties, he negotiated dozens of contracts before returning to Chicago. Although he’s a regular attendee at the Public Sector Labor Conference, this is his first time presenting at the Conference.

Nicole Chaney Related Seminars and Products

Director of Labor and Employment

Cook County Assessor's Office

Nicole L. Chaney is the Director of Labor & Employment at the Cook County Assessor’s Office and an Adjunct Professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.  

Nicole previously served as Chief Legal Counsel for Teamsters Local 700 where she represented public sector employees.  She also served as Senior Labor Counsel for the Cook County Bureau of Human Resources Labor Division where she supervised the hearing officers for Offices Under the Cook County Board President, and she worked at the Veterans Legal Clinic at UIC Law where she helped veterans appeal improperly-denied benefits claims and provided other pro bono services. Nicole has led her clients to victory in forums throughout the state of Illinois, and she has litigated at nearly every level, including but not limited to the Illinois Labor Relations Board, Cook and DuPage County Circuit Courts, 1st and 2nd District Appellate Courts, Illinois Supreme Court, Northern District of Illinois, and 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Nicole earned her Juris Doctor from UIC Law where she served as Articles Editor for the Review of Intellectual Property Law. During law school, Nicole travelled to India to study International Human Rights with Touro Law School. 

Nicole obtained her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan where she double-majored in American Culture and English Language & Literature and minored in Gender, Race, and Ethnicity.  

Jeanne Charles Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator & Mediator and FSIP Member

National Academy of Arbitrators

Jeanne Charles is a native of Chicago but resides in Florida with a national ADR practice including arbitration, mediation and fact-finding predominately in the areas of workplace disputes. She earned her Juris Doctorate (JD) degree from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. She currently serves as a labor arbitrator on various panels in Chicago, Miami and New York in addition to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the US Anti-Doping Agency and Major League Baseball (MLB). Ms. Charles is also a Special Magistrate for the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC) and is listed with the American Arbitration Association, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and National Mediation Board. In September 2021, Ms. Charles was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden to the Federal Labor Relations Authority Federal Service Impasses Panel (Panel). The Panel is an independent entity within the Federal Labor Relations Authority. The Panel’s Chairman and Members serve on a part-time basis and aid in resolving negotiation impasses between federal agencies and labor organizations. Ms. Charles is an adjunct professor at Penn State University’s School of Labor and Employment Relations where she teaches a graduate course in Human Resources and Employment Relations. She also serves as an adjunct professor for the University of Arizona Law School teaching advanced negotiations. Ms. Charles speaks regularly in various venues that include the American Bar Association, American Arbitration Association, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and nation-wide bar association events. She is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators and a Fellow with the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. More detailed information can be found at www.JCharles@JCharlesADR.com.

Nicholas Christen Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel & Director of Field and Organizing

Illinois Federation of Teachers

Amanda R Clark Related Seminars and Products

Shareholder

Asher Gittler & D'Alba Ltd.

Amanda Clark is a shareholder at Asher, Gittler & D’Alba, Ltd., starting with the firm in 2011 as a law clerk. Amanda has experience in public sector labor law across Illinois, representing bargaining units of firefighters, trades employees and educational employees. Her experience includes contract negotiations, grievance arbitrations, disciplinary hearings, and IELRB and ILRB proceedings, and state and federal litigation.

Amanda is a 2012 graduate of Chicago Kent College of Law with a certificate from the Martin H. Malin Institute for Law and the Workplace. She received her undergraduate degree from North Park University. Amanda is an active member of the American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law. She currently serves as the Union Co-Chair of the State and Local Government Bargaining and Employment Law Committee. She is also currently a Co-Vice-Chair of the ABA Labor and Employment Law 17th Annual Conference Committee. Amanda has co-authored an annual report reviewing public sector grievance arbitration decisions for the State and Local Government Bargaining and Employment Law Committee, as well as co-authored papers on the impact of the U.S. Supreme Courts Janus decision, and the Illinois Workers’ Rights Constitutional Amendment.

Rachel Clark Related Seminars and Products

Associate General Counsel

Illinois Education Association

Ted Clark Related Seminars and Products

Clark Baird Smith LLP

Ted is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the American Bar Association, and is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.  In addition, he served for eight years as a member of the Advisory Board of the Maxwell School of Public Affairs and Citizenship at Syracuse University (2001-2009).

Brian Clauss Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator Mediator Attorney

Clauss ADR, Inc.

Brian Clauss is professional neutral Arbitrator and Mediator with a national practice resolving Labor, Employment, and Commercial disputes. Now in his twentieth year as a neutral, he has resolved thousands of disputes in arbitration and mediation.   Brian is a frequent speaker and published author with hundreds of presentations in the US, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India, and more than twenty books, articles, and chapters. He serves the community on a number of non-profit boards.

Brian is also an educator.  He cofounded and served as Executive Director of the UIC-Chicago John Marshall Law School Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic – a nationally

recognized program providing free legal assistance to veterans in VA benefit appeals. In 2019, he served as interim director of the Veterans Clinic at the University of Arizona Rogers School of Law and then remained to co-develop the Dispute Resolution concentration for the Masters in Legal Studies program.  He currently teaches Arbitration and Dispute Resolution courses in the program.

In addition to Brian, Clauss ADR, Inc. is administered by the other attorney in the Clauss house, Andrea Stulgies-Clauss. They are bilingual English - German.

Kelly Coyle Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

Clark Baird Smith LLP

Kelly has a well-rounded background in Labor and Employment Law and frequently assists clients with their traditional labor issues. Kelly also advises and represents clients on a variety of other employee issues including disability pension matters and Public Employee Safety Benefit Protection Act, as well as issues regarding Title VII, the ADA, and the FMLA.

Robb Craddock Related Seminars and Products

Executive Director

University of Illinois

At the University, Mr. Craddock serves as chief spokesperson and is responsible for the administration of twenty (20) different labor agreements covering university employees.  Mr. Craddock represents the University’s Chancellor in grievance matters. Prior to working for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Robb Craddock served as the Deputy Director of Labor Relations for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services from September 2008 through January 2015. In that role, he successfully handled labor relations matters on behalf of the Office of the Governor.  Mr. Craddock represented the largest employer in the State of Illinois.  His tenure as the State of Illinois’ chief labor negotiator exposed him to multiple labor unions including American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Service Employees International Union, Teamsters and various trade unions.  In 2019, Robb Craddock returned to Illinois Department of Central Management Services in conjunction with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to serve as Chief Labor Relations Negotiator and Executive Branch Labor Relations Advisor.  While in that capacity, he successfully negotiated an agreement with AFSCME Council 31; ending a four (4) year labor dispute.  In October 2013, Mr. Craddock accepted on behalf of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services the James Baird Leadership Award for 2013 presented by the Illinois Public Employer Labor Relations Association (IPELRA).  This annual award recognizes leadership and achievement in Illinois public sector labor relations.  Robb is an at-Large Member of the IPELRA Board of Directors, and a member of the Legislative Advocacy Committee. Mr. Craddock received his Master of Public Administration with a graduate certification in Public Sector Labor Relations from the University of Illinois at Springfield.  Mr. Craddock received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Western Illinois University.

Tamara Cummings Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council

Tamara Cummings serves as General Counsel to the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, a large public sector union representing law enforcement bargaining units. She has held that position since January, 2010.  She has worked as an attorney for the Labor Council since 2003, and in this capacity she has represented law enforcement officers and civilian employees in all areas of labor and employment relations.  She has acted as lead counsel in contract negotiations, grievance arbitrations, interest arbitrations, discipline hearings and various court cases in circuit and appellate courts throughout the State of Illinois. Tamara has been responsible for organizing picket lines and civic protests.  Tamara oversees member and employee training and is the chief speaker at Labor Council Critical Incident Seminars which have been held across the State and attended by union members, State’s Attorneys, Chiefs of Police and County Sheriffs. Tamara is also actively involved in the legislative process, working closely with lobbyists to analyze and draft legislation. She has testified on numerous occasions both in support of and in opposition to various pieces of legislation that impact the membership. Tamara is a fellow of the American Bar Association’s College of Labor & Employment Lawyers. The College of Labor & Employment Lawyers is a non-profit professional association honoring the leading lawyers nationwide in the practice of Labor and Employment Law. Prior to joining the Labor Council, Tamara worked for the Law Offices of Joseph V.  Roddy where she primarily defended and represented Chicago Police Officers in administrative, criminal and civil matters. She tried cases in the Cook County Law, Municipal and Criminal Divisions as well as in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  She also prepared and argued appeals before the Illinois Appellate Courts, and the United States Court of Appeals, both the Seventh and Eighth Circuits. Tamara received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and her Juris Doctor degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Joel A. D’Alba Related Seminars and Products

Shareholder

Asher Gittler & D'Alba Ltd.

Joel D'.Alba is one of the senior managing shareholders at Asher, Gittler & D’Alba,

Ltd. and has been in practice since 1971. He has been with the firm for over 50 years and he has devoted his entire professional life to representing working people, both through union representation and as individual clients. Joel is also frequently consulted for his opinions concerning internal and administrative union affairs. While he has represented clients from just about every segment of the private sector, much of his work has centered on the representation of union clients in the public sector, where Joel serves as counsel for firefighter and police unions. He has considerable experience in handling contract negotiations, grievance arbitrations and interest arbitrations. Further, he is extremely well-versed in all aspects of state labor law. In fact, he played an instrumental role in drafting the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, which is one of two state laws granting collective bargaining rights and labor protection to state and municipal employees throughout Illinois.

He is active in two prominent labor law organizations: (1) the American

Bar Association's Section of Labor and Employment Law, and (2) the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Between August 2013 and August 2014, Joel served as the Chair of the ABA's Section of Labor and Employment Law.

He has been listed with Best Lawyers in America, and has been selected as a Super Lawyer from 2005 through 2022.

In November Joel will receive the American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law 2023 Arvid Anderson Public Sector Labor and Employment Attorney of the Year Award. This award recognizes an attorney whose career substantially contributed to the development of public sector labor law.

Adam Dauksas Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Franczek P.C.

Adam Dauksas is a partner in the Education Practice Group at Franczek P.C.

Adam focuses his practice on representing public school districts in all aspects of labor and employment law. He routinely leads collective bargaining negotiations on behalf of clients, drafting language proposals, and crafting complex financial offers/counteroffers.  His practice also includes advising and counseling school districts on a range of employee-related issues, from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  Adam also regularly negotiates and drafts employment and separation agreements and has significant experience conducting all manner of workplace investigations.

Adam has extensive litigation experience in all forums. He has litigated numerous cases involving claims of employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as defamation and personal injury. In 2020, Adam successfully argued before the Illinois Supreme Court in a case involving school district employees' paid sick leave benefits. Adam has also litigated cases before administrative tribunals, including the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board. 

Adam is a 2006 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, where he was a standout basketball player, and a 2010 graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago Law School, where he served on the school’s Law Review.

Jennifer Dunn Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Franczek P.C.

Jennifer represents private and public sector management clients in all areas of labor and employment
law. She has extensive experience advising clients in traditional labor matters, including representation
and unfair labor practice proceedings, grievance arbitrations, collective bargaining negotiations, and
mediation. She regularly appears before state and federal courts and administrative agencies, including
the National Labor Relations Board, Illinois Labor Relations Board, Illinois Educational Labor Relations
Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Prior to joining the firm, Jennifer was an administrative law judge with the Illinois Labor Relations Board.
In that capacity, she investigated and presided over unfair labor practice and representation
proceedings, issued recommended decisions and orders and advised the Board on pending court
litigation. She also worked as an assistant general counsel for the International Union of Operating
Engineers, Local 150, where she represented the union in grievance arbitration hearings and in matters
pending before the National Labor Relations Board, as well as state and federal courts. In addition, she
has served as an adjunct professor at DePaul University College of Law where she taught Labor
Relations in the Public Sector.
Jennifer is a member of the American (Labor & Employment Section), Illinois State (Labor &
Employment Section) and the Chicago Bar Associations.

Education
J.D., with honors, DePaul University College of Law, 1999 (Order of the Coif)
B.A., the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1996 (political science)

Amy Moor Gaylord, JD Related Seminars and Products

Partner, Co-Chair, Traditional Labor Practice Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers

Akerman LLP

With over 25 years of experience, Amy Moor Gaylord focuses her practice on traditional labor matters and employment litigation for both public and private sector employers with an emphasis on National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) proceedings, union organizing drives, NLRB-conducted elections, arbitration cases, contract negotiations, and employment discrimination matters. She has experience counseling clients in various industries, including higher education, not-for-profit, public safety (fire/rescue, police, 911 emergency dispatch centers), hospitality, and entertainment, among others.

Amy has served as lead negotiator in hundreds of collective bargaining negotiations in both the public and private sectors. She frequently represents employers in state and federal court, including class action and TRO/preliminary injunction proceedings, in arbitrations, and before administrative agencies. In addition, she counsels clients regarding union avoidance, workplace harassment, and compliance with a variety of employment-related statutes, including Title VII, the NLRA, the ADEA, the ADA, the FMLA, and the FLSA.

Amy previously worked as an attorney with the National Labor Relations Board in Peoria, Illinois.

Notable Work

Higher Education:

• Representation of a large community college in contentious labor negotiations where the client was able to avoid a strike through creatively resolving a health insurance issue that was at the center of the conflict.
• Representation of a religiously affiliated college against a union that was trying to organize contingent faculty (adjunct and non-tenure track employees). By proving to the NLRB that the college was exempt from unionization as a religious educational institution, the union ultimately withdrew their petition on the day of the representation hearing rather than litigate the issue.

Not-For-Profits Organizations:

• Representation of multiple clients in countering union organizing campaigns, including defending clients against unfair labor practice charges filed during and after the union organizing drives.
• Representation of clients in various discrimination and harassment lawsuits.

Benjamin Gehrt Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Clark Baird Smith LLP

Ben Gehrt focuses his practice on traditional labor law and employment litigation.  He has experience in grievance and interest arbitration cases, contract negotiations, and unfair labor practice charges.  Ben also represents clients in EEO and wage-hour litigation.  Prior to practicing law, Ben worked as a Plant Manager for a food manufacturing company in suburban Chicago.  His experience as a supervisor and a manager gives him a unique perspective that helps him relate to the day-to-day challenges our clients face while managing people.

Ben has represented public and private sector clients in contract negotiations and interest arbitration.  In those settings, he has helped clients obtain significant cost savings through changes in staffing levels, wage schedules, retiree insurance benefits, sick leave buyback benefits, and work rule changes, among other things.

Ben is also an experienced litigator.  In addition to representing clients in grievance arbitration proceedings, Ben has also litigated cases in the state and federal trial courts.  His litigation experience includes cases involving allegations of discrimination, employment cases alleging deprivation of constitutional rights, wage-hour disputes, and disputes over employee benefits under both ERISA and Illinois state law.  In addition to his trial court experience, Ben has successfully represented clients in the state and federal courts of appeal.

Additionally, Ben has developed a niche practice at Clark Baird Smith LLP, counseling the firm’s clients on a wide variety of wage and hour issues under both state and federal law.  In addition to handling the traditional wage payment questions that arise with private sector businesses, Ben is skilled at answering questions that are unique to the public sector, such as questions about compensatory time, 7(k) work periods, pay for canine handlers, and duty shift trades, to name a few.

Ben has been selected as a Leading Lawyer and an Illinois Super Lawyer.  

Ben has also authored and contributed to numerous books and articles regarding labor and employment law.  He is a co-editor and chapter author for Much Smarter Bargaining.  He has also authored contributions to the NPELRA Legal Corner, The Developing Labor Law (BNA), How To Take A Case Before The NLRB (8th Ed. BNA), and a chapter in the Municipal Law Deskbook (ABA 2015) published by the American Bar Association’s Section on State and Local Government Law.

In addition to his practice, Ben volunteers as a judge and advisory board member for the NICASA Teen Court.

Thaddeus H. Goodchild Related Seminars and Products

Deputy General Counsel

Chicago Teachers Union

Thad has served as in-house counsel for the Chicago Teachers Union since 2012, and as Deputy General Counsel since 2019.  He represents the CTU and its members in collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, discipline and discharge proceedings, labor board proceedings, and related litigation.  The Chicago Teachers Union represents nearly 30,000 teachers and educational support personnel working in schools funded by City of Chicago School District 299, and by extension, the over 300,000 students and families they serve. The CTU is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Federation of Teachers and is the third-largest teachers local in the United States. Thad holds a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and a law degree and certificate in labor and employment law from Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Michael Z. Green Related Seminars and Products

Professor of Law and Director, Workplace Law Program

Texas A&M University Law School

Michael Z. Green is a tenured Professor of Law and Director of the Workplace Law Program at Texas A&M University School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas.

Professor Green’s scholarship focuses on workplace disputes and the intersection of race and alternatives to the court resolution process.  He has published dozens of law review articles and book chapters. He is the co-author of Labor Law in a Nutshell (West 2022) and ADR in the Workplace (West 2020). Professor Green was selected as an American Bar Foundation Fellow in 2023, selected as a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators in 2020, elected as a Fellow to the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in June 2014, and elected as a member of the American Law Institute in October 2006. In September 2015, he received the Paul Steven Miller Memorial Award given to a scholar who has demonstrated outstanding academic and public contributions in the field of labor and employment law. His three most recent articles highlight backlash regarding attempts to improve racial progress and diversity in the workplace:

“(A)Woke Workplaces,” 2023 WISCONSIN LAW REVIEW 811 (2023);  “Black and Blue Police Arbitration Reforms,” 84 OHIO STATE LAW JOURNAL 243 (2023); and Symposium Introduction: ‘What Matters for Black Workers After 2020?,’ 25 EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND EMPLOYMENT POLICY JOURNAL 1 (2021).  Also, his forthcoming  article discusses how attempts to address racial discrimination in the workplace continue to be stymied as part of a hostile anti-anti-racism movement: “Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Discrimination Claims,” 72 KANSAS LAW REVIEW (forthcoming 2024).

Nick Gutierrez Related Seminars and Products

Staff Attorney/Investigator

Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board

Patrick Heery Related Seminars and Products

Senior Labor Counsel

Cook County Bureau of Human Resources

Yvette Heintzelman Related Seminars and Products

Member

Clark Hill PLC

Yvette Heintzelman is a dynamic, tenacious, and effective management advocate who works collaboratively to deliver practical solutions to her clients in all aspects of both labor and employment matters.

Workplace Counseling

Yvette regularly advises employers on a wide range of workplace and legal issues including workplace misconduct, reasonable accommodations, FMLA leave, hiring, disciplining, terminating, severance agreements, employee training, personnel policies, labor agreement administration, wage and hour issues and other duties and liabilities of employers.  She has also assisted clients in responding to government investigations.

Employment Litigation

Yvette has litigated a broad spectrum of single-plaintiff, multi-plaintiff, and class action cases including the following:

• Title VII
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• 42 U.S.C § 1981 and §1983
• Overtime and other wage violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• Various state-law claims, including wrongful termination, whistleblower claims, and other general employment matters

Traditional Labor Relations

Yvette’s  traditional labor practice focuses on all aspects of traditional labor law.  She regularly represents clients in collective-bargaining negotiations, organizing campaigns, labor arbitrations, unfair labor practice hearings and labor agreement administration.

Workplace Investigations

She has extensive experience investigating employee misconduct and working with public safety departments and  interpreting the Peace Officers Disciplinary Act, Safe T Act, and the Firefighters Disciplinary Act and associated agreements, laws, and regulations.

Pension/Post-Employment Benefits

Yvette’s  experience includes investigation and analysis of injury claims, particularly public safety injury claims and their intersection with disability and privacy issues, pension applications, PEDA and PSEBA benefits.

Additionally, Yvette has extensive experience representing employers in the public sector, real estate, manufacturing, retail/sales, and staffing industries. She creates and leads comprehensive management and human resources training on diversity issues, complex FMLA issues, discrimination and harassment, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and conducts internal investigations.

A. Lynn Himes Related Seminars and Products

Equity Partner

Himes,Petrarca & Fester Chtd.

Lynn Himes’ experience as a management labor and employment lawyer began when he left the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) and joined the Washington, D.C. law firm of Braude, Marguiles.  His clients were construction contractors, architects and surety bond companies.   In 1979, Lynn moved to Chicago and joined the law firm of Brydges, Riseborough, Morris, Franke and Miller, where he became a partner and practiced labor, employment, construction and school law. He joined Himes, Petrarca & Fester in 1986 as an equity partner.  Lynn represents Boards of Education and other units of local government.   He has negotiated hundreds of collective bargaining agreements and he has handled countless grievance arbitrations and unfair labor practice charges before the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board and the Illinois Labor Relations Board.   He devotes substantial time to defending employers against claims of employment discrimination. He also has a breadth of experience handling school law matters including construction issues, student issues and detachment/annexation hearings. Lynn has completed the IEA Interest Based Bargaining training, its training as an IBB facilitator and its Trainer of Trainers coursework.  He has also completed the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service’s IBB training.  Lynn regularly represents school boards using IBB and often serves in the dual role as the facilitator and the board’s legal representative. Lynn is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of School Attorneys.  He is a past Chairman of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys and a past member of its Board of Directors. He is a member of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board’s Advisory Committee and the Board of Advisors for the Chicago Kent Law School Public Sector Labor Relations Annual Conference. Lynn also serves on the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, Committee on Legal Practices. A native of North Carolina, Lynn attended Davidson College, North Carolina on ROTC and football scholarships. Thereafter, he received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina, School of Law. Lynn served as a captain in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, and ultimately served as a Senior Trial attorney for the Department of the Army. In addition to the law degree, he received from the University of North Carolina School of Law, Lynn also received his Masters of Laws and Letters in Labor Law from Georgetown University. Lynn has been selected by his peers as a Martindale Hubbel AV Preeminent attorney and, also, selected to the Super Lawyers of Illinois, the Leading Lawyers of Illinois, and the Top Lawyers of Chicago.

Luke Howieson Related Seminars and Products

Vice President at Large

Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI)

David A. Johnson Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Franczek PC

Matthew G. Jones Related Seminars and Products

Associate University Counsel

University of Illinois System

Matthew G. Jones is Associate University Counsel in the Office of University Counsel for the University of Illinois System. In that role, Matt provides and manages legal services involving a wide range of issues with an emphasis on labor and employment matters, including matters related to wage and hour laws, employee leave and disability accommodation issues, constitutional rights, collective bargaining, employee misconduct, and general litigation. As an attorney for a large public research university and hospital system, Matt’s experience includes, among other things, serving as lead counsel in scores of grievance arbitration matters involving various categories of employees, including healthcare, faculty, law enforcement, clerical, professional, graduate students, and trades, among others. Matt has also served as lead counsel in proceedings before state labor boards, including unfair labor practice hearings and union representation matters. Prior to joining the University of Illinois, Matt was in private practice for a number of years where he focused primarily on litigation and traditional labor and employment matters.

Helen J. Kim Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Illinois Labor Relations Board

Latoyia Kimbrough Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

Chicago Teachers Union Foundation

Latoyia Kimbrough is one of three in-house attorneys for the Chicago Teachers Union, representing over 28,000 members in the third largest school district in the nation. She joined the CTU in September 2015. Ms. Kimbrough represents CTU members in discipline Mediation/Arbitration, Grievance Arbitration, Labor Board proceedings, and due process Dismissal Hearings. Ms. Kimbrough is a graduate of Englewood High School, a Chicago Public School. Prior to working for CTU, she assisted in organizing CTU and community members around educational issues. Ms. Kimbrough earned her BA in Political Science from North Central College and her JD from Northern Illinois College of Law, where she graduated Cum Laude. 

Tiara Mackins Related Seminars and Products

Investigator

Illinois Labor Relations Board

Tiara Mackins has been an Investigator with the Illinois Relations Board since 2019.  Ms. Mackins has earned bachelor’s degree with honors from Illinois state University and a master’s from Indiana University.

Mary M. (Betsey) Madden Related Seminars and Products

Chief Legal Counsel & Ethics Officer

Illinois Department of Human Rights

Mary M. (Betsey) Madden joined the Illinois Department of Human Rights in November 2017 as the agency’s Chief Legal Counsel and Ethics Officer. She advises the agency’s Director and staff in enforcement of the Illinois Human Rights Act and oversees the work of the Legal Division. Ms. Madden previously served as Personnel Counsel at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, where she had responsibility for employment litigation matters and providing legal representation before the Illinois Department of Human Rights, Illinois Human Rights Commission, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Within the State government, Ms. Madden also served for three years as Deputy Inspector General at the Office of Executive Inspector General (OEIG), where she managed the work of attorneys and investigators on matters under the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Prior to the OEIG, Ms. Madden spent eight years as an Assistant Attorney General at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, representing the interests of the State in employment litigation matters in State and Federal courts, and before administrative agencies. In addition to her experience defending employment discrimination claims on behalf of the State, Ms. Madden also worked for several years in a small plaintiff-side employment litigation practice.

Prior to attending law school, Ms. Madden was a Federal Investigator with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in both their Chicago and Washington, D.C. offices. She is a graduate of Brown University and the Hamline University School of Law.

Martin H. Malin Related Seminars and Products

Professor of Law Emeritus

Chicago-Kent College of Law

Martin H. Malin jointed the Chicago-Kent faculty in 1980 and taught  Labor Law, Employment Discrimination, Public Sector Employees, ADR in the Workplace, and Contracts. He assumed emeritus status on June 1, 2021. He received his B.A. from Michigan State University's James Madison College and his J.D. from George Washington University, where he was an editor of the law review and elected to the Order of the Coif. Prior to Chicago-Kent, he served as law clerk to United States District Judge Robert E. DeMascio in Detroit and on the faculty of Ohio State University.

In 1996, Malin founded Chicago-Kent’s Institute for Law and the Workplace.  He served as director until his retirement in 2021.  He built the Institute into an intellectual home for the labor and employment law community in Chicago and nationally.  On March 10, 2022, the University renamed the Institute in his honor.  It is now known as the Martin H. Malin Institute for Law and the Workplace.

Malin is a former national chair of the Labor Relations and Employment Law Section of the Association of American Law Schools, a former Secretary of the ABA Section on Labor and Employment Law, a former member of the Executive Committee of The Labor Law Group, and a former member of the Board of Governors and vice president of the National Academy of Arbitrators and a former member of the Board of Governors of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. During 1984 and 1985, Malin served as consultant to the Illinois State, Local and Educational Labor Relations Boards and drafted the boards' regulations implementing the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. From 2004 to 2008, he served as reporter to the Neutrality Project of the Association of Labor Relations Agencies, which produced a mini-treatise on labor board and mediation agency impartiality. In October 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Malin as a member of the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP), which resolves impasses in collective bargaining between federal agencies and unions that represent their employees. Obama reappointed Malin in 2014. He served until May 2017 when he and the other Obama appointees were removed by President Trump. In 2021, President Joseph Biden appointed Malin as Chairman of FSIP. In 2016, the ABA presented Malin with the Arvid Anderson Award for lifetime contributions to public sector labor law.

Malin has written extensively on all aspects of labor and employment law. He has published more than 80 articles and seven books, including Public Sector Employment (West 2004, 4th ed. 2022), the leading casebook on the law governing public employees, and Labor Law in the Contemporary Workplace (West 2009, 3rd ed. 2019), a leading casebook on labor law. He has ranked in the top 10 percent of authors in the Social Science Research Network database in terms of downloads of his work

He has a B.A. from Michigan State University and a J.D. from George Washington University.

Jerry J. Marzullo Related Seminars and Products

Shareholder

Asher Gittler & D'Alba Ltd.

Jerry Marzullo is a shareholder in the firm of Asher, Gittler & D’Alba Ltd. and concentrates his practice in the representation of Labor Unions and Pension Funds.  He has successfully represented clients in both pension and labor matters, including collective bargaining, discipline, arbitrations, pension hearings (representing Pension Boards), administrative review, and declaratory judgment proceedings at Administrative, State, and Federal Levels.  Jerry has considerable experience in both litigation and appellate work with numerous decisions. He also serves as Deputy General Counsel for the Illinois Public Pension Fund Association and the Metropolitan Alliance of Police.  He serves as an Advisory Committee Member for the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law’s Illinois Public Sector Labor Relations Law Conference and on the Board of the Chicago Chapter of the Labor and Employment Relations Association.

Jerry received his Juris Doctorate from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with a dual concentration in Strategic Management and Managerial and Organizational Behavior.

He has previously taught undergraduate, Master’s Degree, and Law School courses in various labor and employment law topics. Jerry has been a frequent speaker on both labor and pension-related issues for the Illinois Public Pension Fund Association, the Metropolitan Alliance of Police, the Associated Firefighters of Illinois, the Illinois Professional Firefighters Association, the Illinois Government Finance Officers Association, and the Chicago-Kent Illinois Public Sector Labor Relations Conference and the American Bar Association. Jerry has authored legal articles for publication, including, most recently, the Illinois Public Employee Relations Report (A Statement of Facts: The Reality of Public Safety Employee Pension Funds in the State of Illinois; Vol. 37 No. 3; Possible Wisdom and Wit regarding the Arbitration of Discipline; Vol. 39 No. 3). He has also helped train command staff police officers and firefighters at the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy (NIPSTA).

Jerry is a City of Berwyn Battalion Chief (IAFF-AFFI Local 506), where he currently has 24 years of creditable service and is former President of the City of Berwyn Firefighter's Pension Fund and former Vice-President of IAFF-AFFI Local 506. He is a Certified Fire and Arson Investigator, Advanced Technician Firefighter, and Chief Fire Officer.

Finally, and most importantly, he is happily married to one of Chicago's finest Police Lieutenants and has two evil pugs that he barely restrains from taking over the world.

Libby Massey Related Seminars and Products

Managing Deputy General Counsel

Chicago Public Schools

Libby N. Massey is the Managing Deputy General Counsel in the Chicago Public Schools Law Department. In this role, Libby reports directly to the General Counsel and supervises the managers of the Department's Labor and Employee Discipline Unit, the School Law Unit, the FOIA Unit, and the Education Policy, Records, and Ethics Unit. Prior to this role, Libby served as Deputy General Counsel over the Labor and Employee Discipline Unit for four years, where Libby supervised a team of attorneys who prosecuted employee misconduct and termination cases and represented CPS in labor arbitrations and unfair labor practice charges. She also provided counsel on labor and discipline matters to schools, executive leadership, and the Board of Education. Libby has served in the CPS Law Department for about ten years, first serving as a law clerk, then Assistant General Counsel, Senior Assistant General Counsel, and Deputy General Counsel before being promoted to her current role. Libby is a 2023 graduate of the University of Chicago's Civic Leadership Academy where she earned a Certificate in Civic Leadership. Libby has a B.A. in International Relations and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law with a certificate in Public Interest Law.

Susan Matta Related Seminars and Products

Shareholder

Allison, Slutsky & Kennedy, P.C.

Susan is a shareholder with Allison, Slutsky & Kennedy, P.C.  Her union career began in 1995, when she entered the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute’s Apprenticeship Program, and later became a staff union organizer at UFCW Local 951, where she worked on NLRB election campaigns and corporate pressure campaigns.  After graduating from law school, Susan served as a Law Fellow with Service Employees International Union on a corporate pressure campaign against a local hospital chain, where she represented individuals who were sued for medical debt.  Susan then served as the General Counsel for Service Employees International Union, Local 73 for almost ten years, where she represented both public and private employees.  As in-house General Counsel, she gained invaluable and extensive knowledge of the institutional concerns and needs of unions, conducted numerous trainings for both staff and members, and gained extensive experience representing the various types of public and private sector employees in negotiations, arbitrations, State and Federal Court, the National Labor Relations Board, Illinois Labor Relations Board, Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, Illinois Department of Human Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.   

In 2013, Susan transitioned to private practice with Carmell Charone Widmer Moss & Barr, where she became a partner and focused on representing firefighter clients.  She is also experienced at representing firefighter unions in contract negotiations, contract enforcement, interest arbitration, unfair labor practice proceedings, and court litigation. In 2019, she joined Asher, Gittler & D’Alba, Ltd. as a partner. She joined Allison, Slutsky & Kennedy, P.C. in 2022, where she continues to represent firefighters and other public and private sector clients.

Jamie McCallum Related Seminars and Products

Associate Professor of Sociology

Middlebury College

Jamie McCallum is Associate professor of sociology at Middlebury College. His research focuses on labor and work issues around the globe. His work has been featured in scholarly social science outlets, medical journals, as well as popular places like the New York Times, The New Yorker, Washington Post, The Nation, and Jacobin. His third book, Essential: How the Pandemic Transformed the Long Fight for Worker Justice, was published by Basic Books in late 2022. He’s also a volunteer firefighter in Weybridge, VT.

Peter McNamara Related Seminars and Products

Staff Attorney

International Union of Operation Engineers, Local 399

Peter Conrad McNamara serves as Staff Attorney for the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 399. He is its lead trial counsel and is adept in all phases of litigation: from pre-discovery motion practice to post-trial practice. He is a member of the trial bar of the Northern District of Illinois and is licensed to practice before the Seventh Circuit.

Mr. McNamara's experience spans both sides of the employment relationship. Prior to his current role, Mr. McNamara served as Chief Attorney, Labor & Employment for Chicago Transit Authority for five years and managed labor & employment matters for the Federal Aviation Administration for eight years. His legal journey began in 2007, with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, championing employees and union rights. Beyond his advocacy, McNamara serves as an arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Mandatory Arbitration program.

Mr. McNamara is active in his adopted hometown of Park Ridge. He was the recipient of the 2019 Park Ridge Beautification Award, served as Chair of the Park Ridge Board of Fire & Police Commissioners, and has coached five-, six-, and seven-year-olds in Park Ridge Baseball. A first-generation American, with roots in Peru and Ireland, family comes first. His proudest titles are “father” to River (1), Isla (5), and Jack (8) and “husband” to Eva who lovingly, and not begrudgingly, supports his dream of one day breaking 80 in golf.

Mr. McNamara obtained his J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law, where he served as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Legal Medicine and his B.A. from DePaul University.

Scott Miller Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

AFSCME Council 31

Scott Miller has been a staff attorney with AFSCME Council 31 since 2001. Prior to that, Scott was the Chief Legal Counsel of the Illinois Department of Labor. He is also an adjunct lecturer at the University of Illinois - Chicago, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs.

Melissa Mlynski Related Seminars and Products

Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources

University of Illinois Springfield

Melissa Mlynski is the Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS), a position she has held since December of 2016.  In this role she oversees all aspects of Human Resources for UIS, including Labor and Employee Relations. She has served as the lead negotiator for the university during bargaining with the union that represents tenured/tenure track faculty as well as negotiating other union contracts on behalf of the university. For ten years, she served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at UIS teaching graduate courses in labor and administrative law.  Previously, Ms. Mlynski was the Executive Director of the Illinois Labor Relations Board from June of 2012 through December of 2016.  She has extensive experience representing public employers in collective bargaining, labor arbitrations and cases before the Illinois Labor Relations Board, including more than 10 years as labor relations counsel for the Department of Central Management Services.  Ms. Mlynski also worked in private practice representing public employers in labor and employment law matters.  Ms. Mlynski received her B.A. in English from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and her J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.   

Joe Moriarty Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator and Mediator

Margo Newman Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator & Mediator

AFSCME Council 31

Margo was born and raised in New York City and attended the University of
Michigan, where she graduated in 1971 with a B.A. in History. She taught Junior High School social studies in New York City, and studied law at George
Washington University in Washington, D.C. where she received her J.D. in 1975.

She did a short stint with the U.S. Railway Association before joining the National Labor Relations Board in Chicago in 1976, where she worked as a trial specialist until 1981, when she went into private practice with the law firm of Asher, Gittler, Greenfield & D'Alba, representing unions and employees in all aspects of labor relations. There she remained until 1988, when she decided that having married a Canadian the prior year (after years of commuting), and being 7 months pregnant with their first of two sons, she ought to relocate her primary residence to Toronto.This she accomplished in March, 1989.

Since that time, Margo has been in the full-time practice of labor arbitration.
She began her U.S. practice in 1988, followed by her Canadian arbitration practice in 1991. Prior to the pandemic, she divided her time between her Chicago and Toronto offices. Now she works remotely, and has grudgingly (but happily) given up her frequent flier status. Margo was admitted to the National Academy of
Arbitrators in 2002, and the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2014.

Mike Newman Related Seminars and Products

Deputy Director

AFSCME Council 31

Mike Newman is the Deputy Director of AFSCME Council 31 and an AFSCME International Vice President. He is also a Vice President of the Illinois AFL-CIO. Newman joined Council 31 as Legislative Director in 1982, playing an important role in the passage of public sector collective bargaining laws.

AFSCME Council 31 represents more than 90,000 active and retired employees of state, county and city governments, state universities, local school districts and nonprofit agencies across Illinois.  Newman has been involved in every facet of the union’s work, including overseeing the negotiation and administration of hundreds of collective bargaining agreements and supervising the union’s legal and contract administration teams.

Newman previously taught in the Labor Education Program at the University of Illinois where he also earned a Master of Labor and Industrial Relations degree. Prior to that, Newman was a union organizer in the garment industry in the Southeastern United States. 

Erin O'Boyle Related Seminars and Products

Deputy Director, Labor Relations

Illinois Department of Central Management Services

Erin O'Boyle enlisted in the United States Navy after high school. She served for six years and was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) as a nuclear machinist mate. After her service was completed, she earned her bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Illinois. After a short stint in private practice, she spent two and a half years at the Office of the Illinois Attorney General where she focused on prisoner litigation, practicing primarily in federal court. She accepted a position with CMS as a labor attorney and spent six years at CMS Labor, ultimately rising to the position of Deputy General Counsel of Labor Relations. After 18 months in that role, she accepted a position in the labor offices of Ameren Illinois. After two years with Ameren Illinois, she returned to CMS in the role of Deputy Director of CMS in December 2020.

Karl Ottosen Related Seminars and Products

Managing Partner

Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg & Castaldo, Ltd.

Karl R. Ottosen is Managing Partner and Shareholder of Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg & Castaldo, Ltd. Hehas over 28 years of experience representing governmental bodies, private corporations, and individuals in a variety of labor and employment law issues. Mr. Ottosen frequently negotiates contracts with unions representing bargaining units in law enforcement, fire protection, education, public works, and other public services, as well as with private sector manufacturing units. Mr. Ottosen is regularly selected to speak at seminars and workshops on labor, employment, and local government law issues. His topics include issues in finance, litigation, anti-discrimination compliance, supervisor training, sexual harassment, violence in the workplace, and other general labor and employment concerns. He received a B.S. from Western Illinois University and a J.D. from University of Illinois College of Law.

Robert Paszta Related Seminars and Products

Associate General Counsel

International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, AFL-CIO

Rob Paszta presently serves as Associate General Counsel for the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, AFL-CIO.  After serving in the United States Air Force, Rob began his career as a law clerk for Local 150 and extern for Region 13 of the NLRB.  In 2010, Rob joined the Labor Relations department at CSX Transportation where he handled grievances, arbitrations, and contract negotiations. Rob returned to Local 150 in 2014. Among other duties, Rob has litigated several cases on behalf of Local 150 against various public bodies for their violations of the Open Meetings and Freedom of Information Acts. Rob is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and earned his J.D. degree at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Matthew J. Pierce Related Seminars and Products

Shareholder

Asher Gittler & D'Alba Ltd.

Matt Pierce is a partner at Asher, Gittler & D'Alba, a labor and employment law firm based in Chicago. Matt has represented and advised international and local labor unions across diverse industries, including electrical workers, service and hospitality workers, firefighters, police officers, teachers, transportation and aerospace workers, and other public and private sector employees. His union representation has involved litigation in federal and state courts; proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, the Illinois Labor Relations Board, the Department of Labor and other administrative agencies; and arbitrations. Matt also represents employee benefit funds in federal litigation and oversees the firm's collections practice for ERISA funds. Matt has represented individuals in various employment disputes, including discrimination and retaliation under Title VII, the ADA and related statutes; collective wage and hour actions under the FLSA and state wage laws; breach of contract and wrongful termination; and employment-related tort actions such as defamation. Matt received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, and he practiced labor law in Texas before moving to Chicago in 2017. 

Marc Poulos Related Seminars and Products

Executive Director of the Indiana, Illinois, Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting (III FFC)

IIIFFC

Marc Poulos is the Executive Director of the III FFC. After spending several years in the trades while attending night school, he graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He went on to receive his Juris Doctor and a certificate in Labor and Employment Law from Chicago-Kent College of Law. While in law school, he clerked for the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 Legal Department and later became IUOE Local 150’s Associate General Counsel.

Marc is a proud Local 150 member and sits on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Prevailing Wage Council, the National Alliance for Fair Contracting and Midwest Operating Engineers Information Technologies. Marc is admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois, Washington D.C. Court of Appeals, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association.

James J. Powers Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Clark Baird Smith LLP

James J. Powers IV is a founding Partner of Clark Baird Smith LLP, a labor and employment law practice formed in 2010 that represents management in defense of unfair labor practice charges and federal and state employment-related lawsuits.

He regularly counsels employers in various employment-related leave matters, including the interplay between FMLA, ADA, workers' compensation, and Illinois public safety employee leave and benefits.

His labor relations experience includes representing employers in proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, and Illinois Labor Relations Board.

He also represents employers in grievance and interest arbitration proceedings.   He served as chief negotiator in collective bargaining negotiations with unions such as the Teamsters, International Union of Operating Engineers, SEIU Local 73, AFSCME, the FOP Labor Council, and the Metropolitan Alliance of Police. He is active with the Illinois Public Employer Labor Relations Association and serves as a co-editor of the Association’s monthly newsletter.

Tyson Roan Related Seminars and Products

Field Service Director

Illinois Federation of Teachers

Tyson Roan works primarily with unionized faculty and staff at public colleges and universities throughout central Illinois for the Illinois Federation of Teachers.  Previously, he worked for over a decade with SEIU Local 73 in a variety of capacities, including as Counsel, General Counsel, and Chief of Staff. 

Elizabeth (Libby) Rowe Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Dowd, Bloch Bennett, Cervone, Auerbach & Yokich, LLP

Elizabeth L. Rowe ("Libby") joined Dowd, Bloch, Bennett, Cervone, Auerbach & Yokich, LLP in 2014 and became a partner in 2020. Libby has experience representing employee benefit funds, labor unions, and individuals on a variety of employment matters. Her practice areas include general representation of employee benefit funds on matters of ERISA, HIPAA, and Internal Revenue Code compliance, and benefit claims and appeals;  representation of labor unions before the National Labor Relations Board; representation of individuals and employers in EEOC, Illinois Department of Human Rights, FMLA, Title VII, and other employment proceedings;  and federal and state court litigation. She also assists clients with annual workplace sexual harassment trainings.  Prior to joining Dowd, Bloch, Bennett, Cervone, Auerbach & Yokich, LLP, Libby worked for the legal department of the Service Employees International Union. Libby is a 2012 graduate of the University Illinois College of Law.

Amber Spainhour Related Seminars and Products

Labor Relations Administrator

State of Illinois, Central Management Services

Amber Spainhour is Assistant Director of Labor Relations at the State of Illinois, Department of Central Management Services. Amber leads and assists in negotiating State of Illinois master collective bargaining agreements, including the State’s largest contract with AFSCME, covering approximately 38,000 employees. She provides advice on interpretation of complex collective bargaining agreements and statewide personnel policies to agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor. She also serves on a team developing statewide labor policy for employees under the Governor and represent the State in grievance and unfair labor practice hearings with various labor unions. Amber received a B.S. from Eastern Illinois University and an M.P.A. from the University of Illinois Springfield.

Kimberly Stevens Related Seminars and Products

Executive Director

Illinois Labor Relations Board

Kimberly Stevens is the Executive Director of the Illinois Labor Relations Board. Prior to her current position with the Labor Board, Ms. Stevens was most recently Deputy General Counsel at the Illinois State Board of Education. Ms. Stevens has also worked for the Illinois Labor Relations Board as an Administrative Law Judge, and she previously served as labor relations counsel for the Department of Central Management Services, representing the State of Illinois in contract negotiations, arbitration hearings, and cases before the ILRB. Ms. Stevens began her legal career at the Illinois Attorney General’s office in the civil trials bureau, where she was responsible for government defense litigation in State and federal courts as well as administrative matters before State merit boards and commissions. Ms. Stevens received her Bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in history, political science, and humanities from Valparaiso University and her Juris Doctor degree magna cum laude from the Valparaiso University School of Law.

Ellen Maureen Strizak Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board

Ellen Maureen Strizak is the General Counsel of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. She began working for the Illinois Educational Labor Relations as a Board Writer in 2002. Ms. Strizak was Staff Counsel for the Illinois Labor Relations Board from 2006 until 2010. She returned to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board in 2010 as Associate General Counsel and became General Counsel in 2019. Ms. Strizak received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Iowa and her J.D. from the John Marshall Law School. Prior to law school, Ms. Strizak organized tenants as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in Austin, Texas.

Anita Tanay Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

ATU Local 308

Torrick Ward Related Seminars and Products

Deputy Director of Labor Relations

Cook County Human Resources, Labor Division

Torrick Ward is the Deputy Director of Labor Relations for Cook County, Illinois.  Prior to serving as Deputy Director, Mr. Ward served as the acting director of the Department of Human Rights and Ethics for Cook County and the Senior Labor Counsel for Cook County Labor Relations.  Besides holding positions at Cook County, Mr. Ward worked as an Assistant Corporation Counsel, Senior Counsel and Deputy Director of Compliance at the City of Chicago.  Mr. Ward  has practiced in the areas of Labor and Employment, Civil Rights and Corporate Compliance since 1998.

Steve A. Yokich, JD Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Dowd, Bloch, Bennett, Cervone, Auerbach & Yokich, LLP

Jacalyn J. Zimmerman Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator and Mediator

Jacalyn Zimmerman, Arbitrator

Jacalyn J. Zimmerman is a labor arbitrator/mediator with a private practice based in the Chicago area. A career labor relations neutral, Jackie maintained an active arbitration practice from 2006 to late 2009, when she suspended the practice to accept an appointment by then-Illinois Governor Pat Quinn as Chair of the Illinois Labor Relations Board.  She held that position until resuming the arbitration practice in September 2012.  She also served as the agency’s founding General Counsel.  She began her legal career as a trial attorney for the National Labor Relations Board, Region 13.

Jackie is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators and a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.  She is a past neutral co-chair of the American Bar Association Committee on State and Local Government Bargaining and Employment Law, and a past president of the Association of Labor Relations Agencies.