40th Annual Illinois Public Sector Labor Relations & Labor Law Conference

Tracey Abman Related Seminars and Products

Associate Director

AFSCME Council 31

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. 

Gary Bailey Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council

           Gary Bailey has served as a labor attorney for the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council for over 35 years. Gary is involved in negotiations, grievance arbitrations and interest arbitrations on behalf of sworn peace officers and law enforcement personnel across the State of Illinois.

Gary is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor and Employment Law. Gary served on the LEL Section Council for eight years and is currently a Section Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates. Gary has been a member of the Section’s State and Local Government Bargaining and Employment Law Committee since 1992 and was the Union Co-Chairman of the Committee from 2009-2012. Gary contributes each year to the Committee’s Annual Report on Interest Arbitrations that occur across the country.

Gary received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and his juris doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Gary was inducted as a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2008. 

Laurel Baker Related Seminars and Products

Assistant General Counsel

Chicago Public Schools

Steven M. Bierig Related Seminars and Products

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.

John Brosnan Related Seminars and Products

Special Counsel

Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board

Robert Bruno Related Seminars and Products

Professor & Director, Labor Education Program (Chicago)

University of Illinois Chicago

Robert Bruno is Director of the Labor Education Program and a Professor of Labor and Employment, as well as the director of the Project for Middle Class Renewal in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

In addition to publishing numerous scholarly articles on a diverse range of labor relations subjects, Professor Bruno has also co-authored numerous research reports on labor unions, workplace practices and labor and employment policy topics.

He is also the author of five books; Steelworker Alley: How Class Works In Youngstown (1999), Reforming the Chicago Teamsters: The Story of Local 705 (2003), Justified by Work: The Meaning of Faith in Chicago’s Working-Class Churches (2008) and A Fight for the Soul of Public Education: The Story of the Chicago Teachers Strike (co-author 2016), which was awarded the United Association for Labor Education Best Book award in 2017 and What Work Is (2024).

Professor Bruno has given expert testimony to the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce, as well as the Illinois House and Senate Committees on Labor and Commerce.  He has also been a frequent commentator on labor relations for both regional and national media and has served as a commentator for numerous newspapers.

Professor Bruno has taught many different labor relations courses, specializing in collective bargaining, labor history and American politics, as well as given numerous public presentations on labor relations.

He is the co-editor of Labor Studies Journal and is an executive board member of the United Association for Labor Education and Chicago Chapter of the Labor Employment Relations Association.

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.

Lisa R. Callaway Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Engler Callaway Baasten & Sraga LLC

Ms. Callaway earned her undergraduate degree cum laude, Juris Doctor degree, and Masters of Science in Industrial Relations, all from Loyola University of Chicago. Ms. Callaway concentrates her practice in the areas of labor and employment law. Before joining our firm, Lisa was a partner at Clark Baird Smith LLP, Vice President and General Counsel for the Management Association of Illinois, and an associate practicing in labor and employment law at two other Chicago law firms. Over the past decades she has represented municipalities, school districts, community colleges, other local governmental entities, and private companies. Lisa has a wealth of experience negotiating public and private sector collective bargaining agreements, and has also represented public and private sector clients in federal and State court litigation and before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, the State and federal departments of Labor, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and the Illinois Educational and Public Labor Relations Boards. She frequently lectures on labor and employment law issues at local, State and national conferences and has authored articles on topics such as collective bargaining, employment discrimination, employment termination, and workplace Internet/e-mail misuse. Lisa is also a Fellow in The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.

Chelsy Castro Related Seminars and Products

CEO and Founder

Castro Jacobs Psychotherapy and Consulting

Chelsy Castro is Principal and Founder of Castro Jacobs Psychotherapy and Consulting, a firm specializing in lawyer well-being. A recognized expert in high-achiever well-being, Chelsy has worked with tech companies, universities, international law firms, and numerous companies across the country. From thousand-person conferences to 20-person workshops, Chelsy equips her audiences with the knowledge and skills necessary for sustainably healthy success in a competitive world.

A graduate of the University of Chicago and American University Washington College of Law, Chelsy practiced law as a multilingual attorney in the field of international regulatory compliance before transitioning into the clinical and consulting fields. An attorney turned psychotherapist and performance coach, she now counsels individuals, teams, and the organizations they work for on how to achieve their goals in healthy and productive ways. Chelsy’s publications and trainings focus on science-based skills and strategies for improving performance and increasing well-being in high-pressure professions.

She has been featured by the American Bar Association, Telemundo, and several legal industry publications and podcasts. She is a renowned speaker, author of the book 50 Lessons for Happy Lawyers, and creator of the Healthy High-Achiever e-learning suite.

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.  

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.

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.

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. 

James Daniels Related Seminars and Products

Deputy General Counsel of CMS Labor Relations

Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council

James Daniels is the Deputy General Counsel of CMS Labor Relations for the State of Illinois. He is involved in all aspects of litigating and resolving grievances, ULPs, and petitions arising out of the fifty agencies under the Governor’s Office.  Before working for CMS, James worked for over a decade as a staff attorney with the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, where he negotiated collective bargaining agreements and arbitrated contract violations for law enforcement units all over the State. He lives in Springfield, where he runs a theater organization called White Horse Players.  He graduated from John Marshall law School in Chicago in 2005.

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)

Arnoldo Fabela Related Seminars and Products

Director of Field and Organizing

Illinois Federation of Teachers

James C. Franczek Jr. Related Seminars and Products

Franczek PC

Felicia Frazier Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Odelson, Sterk, Murphey, Frazier & McGrath, Ltd.

Felicia L. Frazier is a managing partner at Odelson & Sterk, Ltd. where she provides experienced counsel in the areas of school, municipal, and labor law. A graduate of Illinois State University with a degree in psychology, she earned her Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School. Previously, Ms. Frazier served as Assistant State’s Attorney with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. As a trial attorney, she prosecuted hundreds of cases in both bench and jury trials. In addition, she provided domestic battery training for Area 4 Police Headquarters personnel. Ms. Frazier presently serves as general counsel to numerous school districts, as well as village attorney for multiple municipalities. Her public sector experience includes personnel issues, labor and employment matters, and contract negotiations. She represents employers in state and local labor board hearings, as well as grievance and arbitration hearings. Ms. Frazier has served as a speaker at school and municipal conferences on topics including employee discipline, discharge, pension related issues, and social media. She has also conducted training programs for a variety of employers on labor and employment law issues. Ms. Frazier is a member of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys and the Illinois State Bar Association. She is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Along with her husband and two children, Ms. Frazier volunteers at homeless shelters and food pantries.

Thomas C. Garretson Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

Robbins Schwartz

Tom counsels employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including internal misconduct investigations, disciplinary action, labor relations, collective bargaining, and federal and state employment discrimination matters under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Illinois Human Rights Act, Title VII, and other federal and state anti-discrimination and wage laws. Tom represents employers in a variety of venues, including federal/state courts, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and federal/state labor boards.

Prior to joining Robbins Schwartz, Tom worked in Labor Relations for the Cook County Health System. During law school, Tom interned with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Enforcement Unit.

Amy Moor Gaylord, JD Related Seminars and Products

Co-Chair, Traditional Labor Law Practice

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 healthcare, 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 LaborRelations 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.

Public Sector

• Representation of municipal clients in numerous grievance arbitrations and matters brought by the Metropolitan Alliance of Police, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the Teamsters, the International Union of Operating Engineers, and the Service Employees International Union.
• Representation of a police department in arbitration for the discharge of a police officer who was drinking alcohol while wearing parts of his uniform. The arbitrator upheld the discharge.
• Representation of multiple police and fire departments administration and at the state labor board after departments implemented cost-saving measures, including flexible scheduling, layoffs, furloughs, and station closures.

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.

Bill Gleason Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Petrarca, Gleason, Boyle & Izzo

William F. Gleason is a founding member and partner with the law firm of Petrarca, Gleason, Boyle & Izzo, LLC. He earned his Juris Doctorate from IIT-Chicago Kent Collee of Law and was an inaugural member of the Honors Law Program.  During law school he worked in the school’s in-house law clinic.

Mr. Gleason concentrates his practice in the general representation of school and municipal clients. In representing these entities, he routinely counsels clients on employee rights and benefits, student rights/discipline, Open Meetings Act and FOIA compliance. He also advises clients through the collective bargaining process and has negotiated with various groups of employees for both schools and municipal clients.

In addition to these practice areas, he also regularly represents clients in various litigation matters and through all phases of litigation including trial and appeal. He has also represented numerous clients before the Illinois Appellate Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. His experience includes cases involving sexual assault, premises liability, student discipline, student residency, improper non-renewals under the School Code, Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, ADEA, ADA, equal protection, due process, willful and wanton supervision, First Amendment claims, conspiracy claims, retaliation claims, excessive force, unlawful search and seizure, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, construction disputes, breach of contract claims and tenured teacher dismissal cases.

Representative Decisions

• Mitchell v. SPEED, 386 Ill.App.3d 106 (1st Dist. 2008)
• Bryant v. Bd. of Ed. of Bremen CHSD 228, 347 Fed.Appx. 250 (7th Cir. 2009)
• Warning v. SPEED, 242 Ill.2d 92 (2011)
• Wynn v. Bd. of Ed. of Elementary S.D. 159, 815 F.Supp.2d 1007 (N.D. Ill. 2011)
• People ex rel. Madigan v. Bertrand, 2012 IL App (1st) 111419
• Bd. of Ed. of Du Page H.S. Dist. 88 v. Pollastrini, 2013 IL App (2d) 120460
• Henyard v. Village of Dolton, 2016 IL App (1st) 153374

Jeremy Glenn Related Seminars and Products

Member

Cozen O'Connor

Hailey Golds, Attorney Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

Franczek P.C.

Alyssa Haaker Related Seminars and Products

ILFOPLC

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.

Graham Hill Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

Chicago Teachers Union Foundation

Marvin Hill Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator

Northern Illinois University

Cody Huffines Related Seminars and Products

Investigator

Illinois Labor Relations Board

Richard Huszagh Related Seminars and Products

Assistant Attorney General

Illinois Attorney General's Office

Helen J. Kim Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Illinois Labor Relations Board

Lisa Salkovitz Kohn Related Seminars and Products

Dispute Resolution Services

Peter M. Kramer Related Seminars and Products

Cook County Sheriff's Department

Michael Kuczwara Jr. Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Laner Muchin

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.

Marron Mahoney Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Laner Muchin

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.

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.

Mark McQueary Related Seminars and Products

The Metropolitan Alliance of Police

Mr. Cary Morgen Related Seminars and Products

Labor Arbitrator

Cary Morgen Labor Arbitration & Mediation Services, LLC

Joe Moriarty Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator and Mediator

Moriarty Mediation

Frances Orenic Related Seminars and Products

Legislative Director

Illinois AFL-CIO

Heidi Parker Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator-Attorney-Mediator

Hackman Parker, LLC

Arnaldo Rivera Related Seminars and Products

Chief Administrative & Equity Officer

Navy Pier

Arnie Rivera joined Navy Pier in May 2021 as the Chief Administrative and Equity Officer, a newly created role overseeing key administrative functions, including Arts, Culture, & Engagement; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); Resource Development; Marketing & Communications; Strategy & Planning; People and Culture; and Data Analytics. He is also the Chairman of the Board of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, having been appointed to the role by Governor Pritzker in February 2023. As stated in the Authority’s By-Laws, he also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority.
He previously served as the Chief Operating Officer for Chicago Public Schools (CPS), where he was responsible for overseeing the operations of the third largest public-school system in the country. His responsibilities included managing 700 schools, modular buildings, annexes, and administrative offices across the district. He also developed and executed the strategic planning and budget process for more than $2.5 billion in capital construction between 2018-2021, the largest three-year outlay in the history of the district.
Under his leadership, CPS successfully implemented a comprehensive nutrition program, the third largest K-12 food service program in the United States, serving 62 million meals to students each year. He also managed other critical divisions on behalf of CPS, including student transportation, safety and security, procurement, and information technology. In addition, he led the teams that successfully negotiated the past three collective bargaining agreements with the Chicago Teachers Union.
Arnie’s previous roles include Senior Strategic Advisor for After School Matters and Chief Operating Officer for the Chicago Public Education Fund. At After School Matters, he was responsible for the development and management of a long-term growth strategy to support the organization’s growth from 20,000 students to more than 30,000 students in a five-year period. As COO at Chicago Public Education Fund, he successfully led the execution of the organization’s development strategy, helping raise $20 million for the Fund. In addition to his work in the nonprofit space, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Education for former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He also worked as a financial analyst for Lehman Brothers, Inc. in New York City at the onset of his career. He later transitioned to become a CPS teacher through the Golden Apple Teacher Education (GATE) Program, an alternative teacher certification program.
In 2018, he was named to Crain’s Chicago Business’ coveted 40 under 40 list. His Chicago area roots extend to his time as a student at Northwestern University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Master of Science in Education and Social Policy.

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. 

Abby Rogers Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Engler, Callaway, Baasten & Sraga, LLC

Abby Rogers maintains a broad-based labor and employment practice, with decades of experience representing governmental entities and private sector clients.  Ms. Rogers focuses on general employment relationship issues, labor relations matters and collective bargaining.  Ms. Rogers divides her practice equally between counseling clients and defending clients in litigation, including labor arbitration, administrative and judicial proceedings.  She has extensive experience with the FMLA and with medical and disability issues in the workplace.  In addition, Ms. Rogers regularly lectures and conducts workforce training on issues related to non-discrimination and anti-harassment, managing medical issues and leaves of absence in the workplace, and managing other workplace concerns. She is a contributing author on “Sex Discrimination and Harassment,” to the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education publication Employment Discrimination: Unlawful Grounds and Prevention (2021) and a contributing author on “Freedom of Speech in the Public Workplace,” to the American Bar Association publication Municipal Law Desk Book (2015).

John Shapiro Related Seminars and Products

Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLC

Melissa Sobota Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Franczek P.C.

Melissa concentrates her practice in both labor and employment law. Her labor experience includes collective bargaining for schools and higher education institutions, municipalities, and county employers. She has experience handling union certification petitions, severance petitions, as well as litigating unfair labor practice charges and grievances before the Illinois Labor Relations Board and Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. She has also advised employers on medical and insurance benefit plan issues in relation to contract negotiations and employee disputes.

Her employment practice includes the defense of employers against discrimination cases filed state court, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. She has also defended employers before the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations, the Illinois Department of Labor, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and the Illinois Labor Relations Board.

Her higher education practice includes negotiating collective bargaining agreements, as well as handling grievance arbitrations, unfair labor practice charges, and representation petitions before the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board and National Labor Relations Board on behalf of colleges and universities.

Prior to private practice, Melissa worked with the corporation counsel of the City of Chicago in the Labor Division and defended the City in grievance arbitrations regarding contract disputes, discipline, and medical and benefits plans.

Melissa is a member of the American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section), the Illinois State Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section), and the Illinois Public Employer Labor Relations Association.

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.

Richard Stewart Jr. Related Seminars and Products

President and Chief Executive Officer

The Stewart Law Firm, P.C.

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.

Chuck Sullivan Related Seminars and Products

President

Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois

Chuck is President of the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois.  He has served in that role since January of 2020.  The AFFI represents over 15,000 firefighters and paramedics in 225 locals across the state.

Prior to becoming the President, he served as the AFFI Central District Legislative Representative from 2008-2020.  During that time, he worked extensively on legislation and rules within Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Statute that affects Downstate and Suburban Firefighters. Chuck Sullivan was appointed to the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund Board on January 31, 2020. Chuck has served as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees since the Board’s inception.

Chuck has an Associate’s degree in Fire Science and a Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University. He was a firefighter with the City of Champaign from 1995 until his retirement in March of 2022 at the rank of Battalion Chief.  In addition he is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served in Desert Storm.

John J. Weathers Related Seminars and Products

Commissioner

Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service

John Weathers is Commissioner of Mediation in the Peoria, Illinois field service area of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). Mr. Weathers joined the FMCS in 2016 after working as labor counsel for the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council (ILFOPLC) in Springfield, IL for over six years. While with the ILFOPLC he negotiated and administered numerous collective bargaining agreements, presented cases in grievance and interest arbitration, and handled various court and labor board issues. Prior to his employment with the ILFOPLC, Mr. Weathers worked for the State of Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) for nearly four years. His duties at CMS included grievance arbitration, unfair labor practices charges filed against state employees and agencies and negotiation of collective bargaining agreements.. Prior to practicing labor law Mr. Weathers was an State of Illinois Assistant Attorney General focused on defending the State in Federal and State Courts against various constitutional claims. Mr. Weathers received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Illinois and his law degree from the Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Steve A. Yokich, JD Related Seminars and Products

Partner

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