Union Employee Lawyer

The legal rights of employees who are a member of a union are to a large extent governed by their union's Collective Bargaining Agreement with the employer.  Most Collective Bargaining Agreements in the private sector list the procedures that must be followed when the employer wants to imposed discipline, and allow the union to file a grievance when there is a dispute over the propriety of any disciplinary procedure imposed.  If the grievance is not informally resolved, most Collective Bargaining Agreements require that the dispute be submitted to arbitration.  

In many situations, however, including unlawful discrimination and public policy violations, the employee will also have the right to pursue an action against the employer in court.  A court action allows the successful claimant to recover additional types of damages that are not available under the union grievance and arbitration procedures.  Also, for some types of claims, such as those brought under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, the employee can usually sue the employer in court even if he or she has previously lost a union arbitration on the same claim.  

Representing union employees can be extremely complex, and many employment lawyers do not handle claims by union members.  Attorney Johnston is one of those employment lawyers who does represent union employees, so if you are a union member seeking information or representation you can contact us using one of the forms listed in our "Contact Center" page. Just make sure to check the box on the form indicating that you are a union member.