Labor & Employment
Labor Relations
Roetzel collaborates with in-house counsel and human resources departments in both public entities and private companies to provide efficient, cost-effective representation in labor relations and union matters. Our goal is to help employers maintain positive employee relations and prevent labor issues. When disputes occur, we work closely with employers to resolve them promptly. We represent private employers before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and public employers before the Ohio State Employment Relations Board, frequently handling grievance and arbitration proceedings, injunctions, and other labor-related litigation.
Our labor relations attorneys support clients across various industries, including automotive, airline, newspaper, television, education, tire, construction, and produce. We have also represented employers in contract negotiations and conflict resolution with major unions such as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Teamsters, Ohio Nurses Association, and United Steelworkers.
Our Experience
- Representation of numerous employers in negotiations with various unions, including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Teamsters, Ohio Nurses Association, and United Steelworkers
- Led the successful defense of an employer against a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective action claiming that employer had not paid for travel time between work assignments
- Successfully represented a large non-profit before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
- Served as chief labor negotiator for teaching and non-teaching contracts, including traditional and interest-based bargaining, and provide behind the scenes advice to the board’s negotiation team
- Negotiated initial contract for public sector employer
- Represented a Fortune 50 domestic automobile manufacturer in discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases, as well as NLRB proceedings, appeals, and labor arbitrations
- Represented a private employer before the National Labor Relations Board
- Assisted a public sector employer in a union organizing campaign that resulted in union election loss
- Provided supervisory training to a non-union employer regarding union avoidance
- Represented a private nonprofit employer in arbitration proceedings
- Managed contract negotiation and administration issues for nonprofit organizations, human service departments, Metropark systems, and sheriffs' departments
- Handled contract negotiations and contract administration matters for a number of private sector clients
- Represented private and public employers in union campaigns, labor contract negotiations, and labor arbitrations
- Negotiated a project labor agreement for a state university to construct new university facilities
- Represented air carriers in union arbitrations for pilots, flight attendants, maintenance and ramp workers on diverse issues, including bids, scheduling and overtime calculation
- Led collective bargaining negotiations with various newspaper and television trade and guild unions, including successful negotiation of a new labor agreement that took technological advancements into consideration for the first time
- Advised newspaper clients regarding carrier and independent contractor issues
What We Do
- Represent clients in National Labor Relations Board proceedings
- Represent clients in State Employment Relations Board proceedings
- Advise on union organizing avoidance
- Assist with union decertification
- Negotiate collective bargaining contracts
- Administer collective bargaining contracts
- Advise on work stoppages, picketing, and strikes
- Handle grievance and arbitration proceedings
- Advise on reductions in force
- Handle unfair labor practice proceedings
- Assist with fact-finding, mediation, and conciliation