The School of Management and Labor Relations delivers programs for individuals and custom programs for organizations to provide critical knowledge and skills to prevent labor disputes, resolve grievances effectively, and engage in productive collective negotiations. 


Labor and Employment Law

Learn how the law affects the administrative rules and practices embedded within the collective bargain system, as well as the system itself. This program provides a detailed overview and an indispensable review of key legal issues.

Constitutional Rights and the Workplace

Instructor: James Cooney, Esq.
Covers the reach of Constitutional protections at the workplace, what is protected and what isn't, including free speech, rights to privacy, whistle-blowing, testing and other issues. Also reviews the implications of the appeal to free speech protections in recent decisions, e.g., Janus v. AFSCME.  

Employment Relationships From Start to Finish

Instructor: Melanie Lipomanis, Esq.
An overview of state and federal laws that intersect all phases of the employment relationship from pre-hire through termination. Learn the critical points in the employment process where litigation arises, and how to protect the rights of employees, supervisors, and employers.

Leave and Absence Workshop

Instructor: Rosemarie Cipparulo, Esq., J.D.
This Workshop will explore the various types of protected leave available to workers. The Workshop will provide insight on how to prosecute and defend discipline for absenteeism related charges. It will cover subjects such as: Excessive absenteeism; Abuse of sick time; Granting and extension of leaves of absence; Job abandonment; The right of employers to require proof of illness and confidentiality of such information; Statutory leave protections; Fitness for duty examinations and bargaining leave provisions among other related topics.

Bias, Harassment and Discrimination

Instructor: Ursula Leo, Esq. J.D.
Federal and New Jersey State laws prohibiting disability, gender, religious and race discrimination, and harassment. Topics include legal definitions of disability; legal requirements of reasonable accommodation; what constitutes disparate gender and race treatment; and issues of concern to union representatives.

Workplace Investigations & Interviews: Overview

Instructor: Carla Katz, Esq. J.D.
Workplace investigations and interviews as a whole, including an overview of issues and the law related to the field from an experience local union president and accomplished labor lawyer.

Workers' Compensation

Instructor: John Burton, Esq., PhD
Covers the New Jersey workers' compensation law; which provides cash and medical benefits to those disabled by work-related injuries and diseases. Includes employee coverage, compensable injuries and diseases, ensuring payment, and workers' abilities to sue employers for damages.

Negotiation, Arbitration and Conflict Resolution

Collective Bargaining and Contract Negotiations

Instructor: William Dwyer
This class breaks the complex process of negotiation down into easily manageable steps and provides guidance about how to avoid mistakes and reach agreement at the bargaining table.

Getting Ready to Bargain and Win

Instructor: Don Dileo
Successful negotiators are prepared and ready for anything. This course will describe what individuals and organizations need to do in order to get ready to bargain the best possible contracts. 

Conflict Resolution at the Workplace

Instructor: Saul Rubinstein
This course looks at different models of labor-management cooperation and surveys ways to reduce dysfunctional conflict at the workplace, in the grievance process, and at the bargaining table.

Grievance Arbitration I: Foundations

Instructor: Joan Parker
This sequence of two courses is designed to increase the practitoner's skills in preparing and presenting grievance arbitration cases. Students must complete the first class in order to take the second.  

Grievance Arbitration II: Advanced

Instructor: Joan Parker
Major subjects discussed: preparing for arbitration, the hearing, presenting a case, standards for just cause, evidence, criteria for contract interpretation, remedies, the decision, and different systems
Pre-requisite: Grievance Arbitration I: Foundations

Grievance Mediation

Instructor: William Dwyer
Grievance mediation is an alternative to more traditional approaches, which often result in win/lose outcomes. Mediation resolves underlying issues, enhances relationships and yields win/win results.