Legal Services of Labor Law Attorneys Labor law attorneys deal with a broad range of labor issues mainly related to how employers treat employees, former employees and applicants for employment. This includes all the areas of the employer-employee relationship, negotiations, and the collective bargaining agreement. Generally, labor laws were designed to create a bargaining balance between employers and employees; prohibiting management and the union from engaging in “unfair labor practices” and encouraging both parties to engage in faithful collective bargaining. Labor laws also grant employees the right to unionize and allow employers and employees to engage in typical union activities like strikes, pickets, seeking injunctions, and lockouts, which is done for getting their demands heard. What Labor Law Attorneys Can Do Labor law attorneys deal mostly with employers and the union. These lawyers help management by carrying out following tasks: o Reviewing client employee handbooks, manuals and policy statements o Assisting with federal and state wage and hour law issues and claims o Representing employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state human rights agencies o Representing employers in unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board and state labor agencies o Providing representation for grievance and arbitration hearings under the collective bargaining agreements o Collective bargaining on behalf of clients including strategic planning and acting as spokesperson o Counseling on issues related to strikes or lockouts, and providing related litigation support On the other hand, these lawyers also help employees in the workplace. They assist employees’ families recover money and other compensation from illegal practices of certain employers. In addition to other labor-related disputes, they handle issues of discrimination (ADA, family leave, ERISA), wage claims, wrongful termination or demotion, invasion of privacy, whistle-blowing (Qui Tam), harassment, unemployment, retaliation, and workers’ compensation. Employment and labor law professionals handle disputes with insurance claims, lawsuits, and court trials. For employers, labor attorneys may review contracts, agreements, and policy publications. They can fine-tune non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, severance agreements, independent contractor agreements, collective bargaining agreements, trade secrets documentation, employee policy manuals, and dispute resolution procedures. They also negotiate with claimants, public workers, unions, and labor organizations. How a Labor Law Attorney Can Help You o Assess your legal rights – The attorney will help you determine whether your rights have been violated or not, the strengths and weaknesses of your claim, and the legal consequences of filing a suit. o Act as your legal coach – By acting as your legal coach, a labor lawyer will: o explain what laws work best for you and how to enforce your right, o advise you on the merits of your claim, o give you feedback on court procedures, o alert you to any problem areas, o suggest evidence that may be useful to your claim; o and draft or write the necessary paperwork.
