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8 – 9 a.m. REGISTRATION
9:15 – 10 a.m. KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Harry C. Katz, National LERA President; Professor, Cornell University Institute on Conflict Resolution
10 – 10:15 a.m. BREAK
10:15 – 11:45 a.m. CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
I. Recent Labor Law Developments
A lively discussion of recent cases and trends under the National Labor Relations Act.
• Michael Tedesco, Attorney at Law, Tedesco Law Groupy
II. Transformative Facilitation for Workplace Disputes
Does your stomach turn in knots before heading into work? Do you need a chainsaw to cut through the tension in the breakroom? Learn how Restorative or Transformative Facilitation can benefit workplace groups in conflict. Hear how to build or rebuild social capital through participatory learning and consensus decision-making to promote positive workplace change.
• Sue Miglino, Mediator, Dispute Resolution Center of Kitsap County
• Robert Galbraith, Mediator, Dispute Resolution Center of Kitsap County
III. Collective Bargaining 101
This fast-paced workshop will help participants brush up on fundamentals of public and private sector labor law. What are unfair labor practices (ULPs)? How do you determine mandatory subjects of bargaining? What do allegations of unilateral change, contracting out, skimming, bad faith, and circumvention have in common? Learn the differences between grievances and ULPs.
• Jessica Bradley, Arbitrator
IV. The Unit Clarification Process in the Public Sector
The unit clarification process is the vehicle to modify an existing bargaining unit. Learn about the various types of petitions and tips for properly using the process.
• Daniel Comeau, Labor Relations Adjudicator/Mediator, Public Employment Relations Commission
• Dario de la Rosa, Representation Case Administrator, Public Employment Relations Commission
11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. LUNCH
1 – 2:00 p.m. CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
I. Shop Steward Day-to-Day Fundamentals
This workshop offers union stewards a refresher on the fundamentals of their work. Topics will include understanding the role and status of union stewards, Weingarten rights, duty of fair representation, and the National Labor Relations Act.
• Taurean (T.J.) Johnson, Commissioner, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
• Tom Melancon, Commissioner, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
II. Labor-Management Collaboration in Health Care
Learn how union involvement in the administration of large health care systems in the public and private sectors, such as New York City and the "Big Three" auto companies, has led to system and cost improvements that were previously blocked by adversarial approaches.
• Harry C. Katz, National LERA President; Professor, Cornell University Institute on Conflict Resolution
III. FMCS and NLRB Case Updates
Handouts
FMCS and NLRB directors will discuss timely developments, recent cases, and trends.
• Beth Schindler, Regional Director, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
• Ronald Hooks, Regional Director, National Labor Relations Board
IV. Ten Ways to Accidentally Commit a ULP
Explore ways well-intentioned labor relations professionals can commit unfair labor practice violations. Learn to spot risky situations and avoid violating collective bargaining rights.
• Matthew Greer, Labor Relations Adjudicator/Mediator, Public Employment Relations Commission
• Emily Martin, Labor Relations Adjudicator/Mediator, Public Employment Relations Commission
IV. FMCS Case Updates
Discussion of timely developments, recent cases, and trends in federal mediation.
• Beth Schindler, Regional Director, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
2:00 – 2:15 p.m. BREAK
2:15 – 3:15 p.m. CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
I. Table Skills for Negotiators: Skills and Drills
This fast-paced, interactive skills-based session is designed to enhance the tool kit of the negotiator at the bargaining table. Learn a skill and then immediately practice with a mini-drill.
• Stephanie Blondell, Associate Director, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine Law
II. Why Parties (Don't) Settle in the Private Sector
There are a myriad of reasons why parties settle their labor contracts in the private sector and just as many reasons why they do not. These may range from economic restraints to philosophical values, politics, and external exigencies. Understanding both your own and the other side’s motivations can help you reach a resolution and enhance collaborative relationships.
• Gary Hattal, Commissioner, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
• Ligia Velazquez, Commissioner, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
III. PERC Case Updates
This session will examine current issues, trends, decisions, and pending cases before PERC.
• Michael Sellars, Executive Director, Public Employment Relations Commission
IV. Why Parties Settle in the Public Sector
Join public sector experts in a panel discussion regarding negotiations within Washington State and King County. We will discuss the impacts of relationships within and between bargaining teams, what it takes to maintain these relationships, how to manage external pressures on the teams, and the many ways to define “settle.”
• Moderator: Polly Davis, Assistant Program Manager, King County Office of ADR
• Chris Elwell, Project Labor Agreement Specialist, Sound Transit
• Joe Tessier, Mediator; President and Executive Director of Teamsters Local 117 (retired)
• Janet Parks, Labor Relations Manager, King County Office of Labor Relations
3:15 – 3:30 p.m. BREAK
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Plenary Session
When Good Negotiators Make Bad Decisions: Negotiation Ethics
How do ethical negotiators make bad decisions? This session will examine the range of psychological processes that lead people to engage in ethically questionable behaviors.
• Stephanie Blondell, Associate Director, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine Law
4:30– 5:30 p.m. THE HAPPIEST HOUR
Trade in your drink ticket and enjoy a libation while networking with your friends and colleagues!
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9:00 – 10:15 a.m. PLENARY SESSION
And the Arbitrator's Award Goes to…
In this interactive workshop, see how well you can predict an arbitrator's award. Hear from respected arbitrators as to how they would rule on certain cases and why.
• Rich Ahearn, Arbitrator
• Michael Cavanaugh, Arbitrator
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. BREAK
10:30 – 11:45 a.m. CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
I. Interest Arbitration From the Arbitrator's Perspective
Have you ever wondered which factors arbitrators consider when determining comparable jurisdictions? What role does bargaining history play? Do arbitrators view language proposals differently than wage proposals? How does an arbitrator decide whether evidence is relevant?
• Katrina Boedecker, Arbitrator
• Howell Lankford, Arbitratorp
II. When Worlds Collide: Navigating the Intersection of Employment Law and the Collective Bargaining Relationship
This presentation will address the impact of common federal and state employment laws on the unionized workplace. Participants will learn how labor laws and union contract provisions supersede, yield to, or integrate with laws such as the ADA, FMLA, Washington State Sick Leave and Paid Family Leave, USERRA, and overtime and minimum wage laws.
• Spencer Nathan Thal, Staff Attorney, IAM & AW, District Lodge 751
• Dan Swedlow, Member, Summit Law Group
III. The Affinity Model of Collaborative Bargaining
Imagine resolving your economic issues in a financially strained environment in hours, not days or weeks! This innovative model of bargaining allows for meaningful input from the collective voices of all bargaining team members and enhances the labor-management relationship.
• Javier Ramirez, Director, Field Programs and Innovation, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
IV. Diagnosing Difficult People
This workshop provides specific tips and tactics and addresses fundamental questions regarding difficult people, such as, What causes certain people to exhibit “toxic” behaviors in the workplace? Are there “universal truths” that apply to difficult people and does knowing these truths help us deal with them more effectively?
• Gary Hattal, Commissioner, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
• Tom Melancon, Commissioner, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. LUNCH
1 – 2:30 p.m. CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
I. The Aftermath of the Janus Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2017-18 term will feature the case of Janus v. AFSCME, a challenge brought to the decades-long practice of fair share dues. It is widely expected the Court will determine that mandatory fair share dues violate public employees' freedom of association rights and will be prohibited moving forward.
• Chris Casillas, Attorney at Law
• Behnaz Nelson, Executive Director, Professional and Technical Employees Local 17
II. Progressive Discipline in the Workplace
This session will cover how to properly communicate disciplinary action to employees with the goal of improving performance, forms of progressive discipline, and the elements of just cause.
• Michael Tedesco, Attorney at Law, Tedesco Law Group
III. To Affinity and Beyond: Practical Application of the Affinity Model
A testimonial of how the Affinity Model transformed the relationship between the city of Great Falls and the fire department (IAFF Local 8). The Affinity Model reduced a previously long bargaining process to reaching an agreement in just four hours.
• Taurean (T.J.) Johnson, Commissioner, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
IV. "Pub Quiz" Legal Ethics
This session will combine friendly competition and random trivia, with an exploration of Washington State’s Rules of Professional Conduct and how they apply to negotiations. Come for the credits, stay for the fun. (Ethics CLE credit pending.)
• Page Garcia, Labor Relations Adjudicator/Mediator, Public Employment Relations Commission
• Emily Martin, Labor Relations Adjudicator/Mediator, Public Employment Relations Commission
2:30 p.m. Conclusion of Conference
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LERA Northwest Chapter