Charles R. Kiser
Associate General Counsel
International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, AFL-CIO
- Chicago-Kent College of Law Class of 2000
- Admitted in: Illinois, the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois and Northern District of Indiana, and the 6th, 7th, and D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeals
Charles was fortunate to be born into a proud union family in Boston, Massachusetts. Although he has lived in Chicago for 35 years, that Boston accent slips through from time to time. Charles’ dad drove a truck as a member of the Teamsters for 32 years and showed him that there truly is power in the union. As a result, Charles has proudly been representing working people and labor unions for almost 25 years, with most of that time spent as in-house counsel for IUOE Local 150.
He practices regularly before Arbitrators, the NLRB: primarily in Regions 13 and 25; in federal district courts, and every so often in the federal circuit courts of appeal - generally, wherever the battle must be joined to safeguard workers’ rights.
As an Associate General Counsel for IUOE Local 150, Charles has successfully fought against the imposition of covenants not to compete and non-disclosure agreements on bargaining unit members. Minteq International Inc., 364 NLRB 721 (2016), enf’d by Minteq International Inc. v. NLRB, 855 F.3d 329 (D.C. Circuit, 2017). He also actively works to protect employees’ and the Union’s lawful right to protest, picket, and strike, peacefully, those employers who violate labor law. And, as a result, Charles has had the honor of defending the free speech, protest rights of the coolest rat in town, Scabby. IUOE Local 150 (Lippert Components, Inc.), 2019 WL 3073999 (JD-57-19, July 15, 2019); IUOE Local 150 (Maglish Plumbing, Heating and Electric, LLC), 371 NLRB No. 18 (2021).
