We advise employers on labor relations including union organizing campaigns, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and unfair labor practice charges.
Union relations involve specialized legal requirements and strategic considerations. MC Law's Union practice helps employers maintain positive employee relations and respond effectively to union activity.
We advise employers facing union organizing campaigns. We train supervisors on permissible conduct, develop communication strategies, and represent employers in representation elections.
Employers may communicate their position on unionization, but cannot threaten, interrogate, promise benefits to discourage union support, or surveil union activities (the TIPS framework). Employers must allow union organizing during non-work time in non-work areas.
Collective bargaining is the process of negotiating terms and conditions of employment with a union representing employees. Mandatory subjects include wages, hours, benefits, and working conditions. Permissive subjects may be raised but need not be negotiated to impasse.
Grievance arbitration is the final step in the dispute resolution process under most collective bargaining agreements, where an arbitrator resolves disputes about contract interpretation and application. Arbitration decisions are generally binding and subject to limited judicial review.
Unfair labor practices are violations of the National Labor Relations Act by employers or unions. Employer ULPs include interfering with organizing rights, discriminating against union supporters, and refusing to bargain in good faith. Charges are filed with the NLRB.
Effective union relations require understanding CBA obligations, training supervisors on contract administration, maintaining consistent discipline, communicating through proper channels, processing grievances promptly, and building a professional working relationship with union representatives.
Order attorney-drafted documents related to this practice.
A comprehensive clearance search plus preparation and filing of one federal trademark application.
Clearance, preparation, and filing, plus responses to routine (non-substantive) Office Actions.
Full-service prosecution from filing through registration, including substantive Office Action responses.
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An agreement used to formalize the termination of a direct hire employee, including provisions for confidentiality, intellectual property, and severance.
A notice sent to a service provider under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), requesting the removal of infringing content hosted on their platform.
A simplified agreement used to transfer ownership of a copyright from one party to another, including details such as rights transferred, payment, and effective date.
An agreement where the copyright owner grants a licensee the right to use the copyrighted material under specified terms, including usage scope, duration, and payment.