The process of collective bargaining is filled with nuance and sublety. Unlike other business negotiations, there is often a dance that takes place as the parties attempt to reach an agreement. Given the Act’s mandate that the parties “meet and confer” at “reasonable times” to try to reach an agreement,
Mark Theodore
Mark Theodore is a partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department. He has devoted his practice almost exclusively to representing management in all aspects of traditional labor law matters throughout the U.S. He is Co-Chair of Proskauer’s Labor-Management and Collective Bargaining Practice Group.
Some recent highlights of his career include:
- Successfully defended client against allegations that it had terminated a union supporter and isolated another. T-Mobile USA, Inc., 365 NLRB No. 15 (2017).
- Successfully appealed NLRB findings that certain of client’s written policies violated the National Labor Relations Actions Act. T-Mobile USA, Inc., 363 NLRB No. 171 (2016), enf’d in part, rev’d in part 865 F.3d 265 (5th Cir. 2017).
- Represented major utility in NLRB proceedings related to organizing of planners. Secured utility-wide bargaining unit. Bargained on behalf of grocery chain. After negotiations reached an impasse, guided the company through lawful implementation of five year collective bargaining agreement.
- Coordinated employer response in numerous strike situations including a work stoppage across 14 western states of the client’s operations.
Mark has extensive experience representing employers in all matters before the NLRB, including representation petitions, jurisdictional disputes and the handling of unfair labor practice charges from the date they are filed through trial and appeal. Mark has acted as lead negotiator for dozens of major companies in a variety of industries, including national, multi-unit, multi-location, multi-employer and multi-union bargaining. Mark has handled lockout and strike situations, coordinating the clients efforts.
In addition, Mark has handled hundreds of arbitrations involving virtually every area of dispute, including contract interest arbitration, contract interpretation, just cause termination/discipline, benefits, pay rates, and hours of work.
Update: NLRB Upholds Termination For Facebook Posting, But Nails Employer For Unrelated Handbook Policy
The NLRB has received a lot of attention for its actions the last couple years. One of the storms was caused by the agency’s attention to employer actions based on employee Facebook postings. More to the point, employers were not too thrilled with some things being posted by employees on…
NLRB: Employer’s Harassment Investigation Lawful, But Not Resulting Discipline
As the end of its fiscal year approaches (September 30), the NLRB pushes more decisions out than it has in the last several weeks. Not a whole lot are of note, honestly. There seems to be an uptick of default judgments being issued,-findings of violations of the NLRA without a…
Post-Labor Day Evaluation Shows….Very Little Activity At NLRB
What a difference a year makes. Last year, we saw a blizzard of change coming from the NLRB. One could forecast what was going to happen due to the proactive nature of the agency’s public expression of its intentions, as well as its solicitation of viewpoints. It seemed every month…
Boilerplate Language In NLRB Settlement Agreement Leads To Default Judgment
During the last several months, the NLRB has made no secret that it wants to make changes to precedent and policy. We have seen public pronouncements about ambush elections, employee rights posters, micro bargaining units, and other issues. Just because the NLRB doesn’t highlight a policy change…
NLRB’s Efforts To Advance Ambush Election Rules Rebuffed, Again
If only everyone had just showed up and voted we wouldn’t be in this mess. As previously reported, the NLRB’s attempt to promulgate the so-called ambush election rules was dealt a setback when a federal district court ruled in May that the Board did not have a quorum at the…
Dues Checkoff Clear In Revocation Requirements, Says NLRB (By Default)
The looming presidential election seems to have slowed the NLRB down, despite the fact the Board is currently at a full complement of five members. As of July 24, it will be down to four, as Member Flynn’s resignation will become effective at that time.
The Board cases being decided…
Independence Day Incrementalism: NLRB (Again) Expands On Precedent By Ruling Employer Off-Duty Access Rule Unlawful
Last year the NLRB’s order of the day was sweeping change. That brought us the employee rights poster, the ambush election rules, and micro unions. The Board today is not acting in such a bold manner, and instead is seeking gradual change through a policy of incrementalism.