The union labor lawyers at Smith's Law Offices offer experienced legal representation, equipped with the most effective tools to support union leaders in providing strong and responsive advocacy for their members.
With over fifty years of experience, they have represented and assisted unions across various industries, including public and private transportation, police, manufacturing, mining, health care, security services, ready mix, construction, baking, and public services.
Smith's Law Offices exclusively represent unions in their labor practice. In the face of corporations that can afford to hire lawyers and union busters, union leaders need reliable attorneys like those at Smith's Law Offices. They provide strategic legal representation to help navigate negotiations at the bargaining table, arbitration hearings, unfair labor practices, and elections.
"Attorney Brian J. Smith is an outstanding attorney. As the President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 268, I can attest that Attorney Brian J. Smith represents 1,900 ATU members strong at Local 268 in arbitrations hearings and contract negotiations.
Attorney Smith is the Right Choice to Represent You Whether You are a Labor Organization or an Individual."
William H. Nix. Sr.
President / Business Agent ATU Local 268
Proactive daily counseling and advising, including participation in board and membership meetings.
Representation in negotiations, factfinding proceedings, mediations, conciliations, and interest arbitrations.
Representation in labor arbitrations, whether related to disciplinary actions or contract interpretation.
Training stewards, trustees, executive board members, officers, and business agents.
Representation in proceedings before the State Employment Relations Board (SERB), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Department of Labor (DOL), the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
- Initiating and defending against unfair labor practice charges, as well as litigation in state and federal courts.
Drafting bylaws, union policies, and procedures.
Conducting internal elections for union officers.
Unions and the law firms that represent them frequently require legal research and drafting support services.
With years of experience working with various unions, Smith's Law Offices invests in legal reference databases that would be prohibitively expensive for smaller unions or law firms to access on their own.
Smith's Law Offices has comprehensive access to BNA/Bloomberg materials, including all Labor Arbitration Reports, as well as resources on union organizing, unfair labor practices, internal union operations, and arbitration texts.
Mr. Smith not only brings his own extensive experience and skills in research and drafting but also leverages these valuable resources to offer affordable solutions for evaluating arbitrators, researching current case law and arbitration decisions, and drafting effective legal briefs.
He takes pride in providing these resources, typically available only to large law firms, to local unions and the law firms that represent them.
Solidarity, loyalty, and strength have been essential for the formation and growth of unions, and they continue to be cornerstones as unions navigate constant changes and new challenges. These challenges include the need for unions to protect their members while also maintaining their financial stability.
Smith's Law Offices recognizes this dual necessity, which is why it is committed to reducing legal costs while enhancing legal services. We offer unions a range of customized fee options, including per-project fees, flat monthly fees, and competitive hourly rates. This variety ensures that our clients can improve the quality of the services they provide while simultaneously reducing expenses.
Brian J. Smith and John Sivinski have extensive experience representing unions that advocate for employees across a wide range of industries, including public and private transportation, policing, corrections, dispatching, manufacturing, mining, healthcare, education, security services, ready-mix concrete, construction, baking, and public services.
Their representation includes employees at various organizations, such as the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, Ohio Turnpike Commission, Cleveland Public Schools, Medina County Engineer's Office, Lorain County Detention Center, Cargill, Inc., Granger Trucking, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal, Smuckers, Pierre’s, Schwebels, and the cities of North Royalton, Broadview Heights, and Strongsville, among others.
