ABGL represents a considerable number of labor unions in the New York area. We are committed to our labor clients and to a full understanding of the important issues that impact those clients.
Central to our expertise is the background of our attorneys. One was a union organizer while he attended law school at night. Others were construction journey persons throughout their college and law school careers. Most of our attorneys and our staff have worked in or come from families involved in organized labor. We feel that we understand our clients because essentially our attorneys come from “Blue Collar” backgrounds. Our firm is a proud member of the AFL-CIO’s Lawyers Coordinating Committee.
We represent union clients and employees in numerous industries, in both the private and public sector, including construction and building trades, security personnel, law enforcement, education, entertainment, to name but a few. Our labor group provides clients with the experience and negotiating skills to address difficult political, management, and legislative issues.
We regularly represent clients on various issues before the National Labor Relations Board, the Public Employment Relations Board, the New York State Labor Relations Board, as well as other administrative agencies that regulate unions and their operations. We also regularly deal with matters involving agencies with oversight over unions, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Labor’s OLMS.
We have a substantial amount of experience in handling all aspects of negotiations, including collective bargaining and project labor agreement.
Our attorneys have decades of experience and many have won industry awards for their outstanding legal work. In addition, they regularly provide training and lectures to clients and the legal community. Because of our expertise, our team is regularly called to review and testify about legislation that impacts working people, including topics such as Project Labor Agreements and Contractor Responsibility, Freedom of Information requirements on Prevailing Wage Projects under New York State Law, and Making Responsible Contractor Policies under the Labor Law Work. Similarly, our attorneys are regularly asked to review important legislation such as municipal contractor responsibility proposals.
What places us apart from a number of other firms is the fact that several of our key attorneys have a background, not only in labor law, but employee benefits and employment law that allows them to understand the full scope of the needs of our clients.