Union Labor Lawyers

The union labor lawyers at Smith's Law Offices provide experienced legal representation with the most effective tools available to support union leaders as they strive to provide their members with responsive and strong representation.

They have represented and assisted unions for more than fifty years in industries such as public and private transportation, police, manufacturing, mining, health care, security services, ready mix, construction, baking, and public services.  

They stand solely on the side of unions in their labor practice. When facing companies with war chests to hire lawyers and union busters, union leaders must have as a resource attorneys such as Smith's Law Offices, who they can trust and rely upon to provide strategic legal representation, navigating to obtain wins at the bargaining table, arbitration hearings, with 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
Union TradeUnion Service

Direct Union Services

Proactive daily counseling and advising, including attendance at board meetings and membership meetings.

Representation in negotiations, fact finding proceedings, mediations, conciliations, and interest arbitrations.

Representation in labor arbitrations whether disciplinary 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 Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Bringing and defending unfair labor practice charges. Litigation in state and federal courts.

Drafting of bylaws, union policies and procedures.

Conducting internal union officer elections.

Union Support Services

Unions and the Law Firms representing them often find themselves in need of legal research and drafting support services.

In addition to years of legal experience with a variety of unions, Smith's Law Offices invests in access to legal reference databases that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive for a small union or law firm.

Smith's Law Offices has access to the full range of BNA/Bloomberg material, including all Labor Arbitration Reports as well as union organizing, unfair labor practice, internal union operations and arbitration texts.

Mr. Smith offers access to not only his own experience and skills for researching and drafting; but through his access to these valuable services he can provide an affordable manner to evaluate arbitrators, research current caselaw and arbitration decisions, and draft winning legal briefs.

His is proud to being these resources, otherwise only accessible by large business firms, to local unions and the law firms representing them.

Union WorkerUnion Teacher

Value-Based Agreements

Solidarity, loyalty, and strength led to union formation and growth and remain cornerstones even as unions face constant changes and new challenges.  These challenges include the need for unions to protect their members while at the same time protecting their bottom lines.  

Smith's Law Offices’ appreciation of this is one reason that it remains committed to reducing legal costs while at the same time improving legal services, and therefore it provides unions with a variety of individually tailored fee options.  Value-based choices such as per-project fees, flat monthly fees, or competitive hourly rates are all available to ensure our clients increase the quality of the services they provide while reducing costs.

Union TradeUnion Medical

Sample Industries

Brian J. Smith and John Sivinski have extensive experience representing unions serving employees in industries such as public and private transportation, police, corrections officers, dispatchers, manufacturing, mining, health care, schools, security services, ready mix, construction, baking, and public services.  

They have represented employees at employers such as the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority, Ohio Turnpike Commission, Cleveland Public Schools, Medina County Engineers Office, Lorain County Detention Center, Cargill, Inc., Granger Trucking, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal, Smuckers, Pierre’s, Schwebels, City of North Royalton, City of Broadview Heights, City of Strongsville, as well as other varies cities and townships.

Out-of-Office Notice - through August 3, 2023

While we typically encourage and provide free consultations every day, Mr. Smith will be unavailable to provide consultations until August 4, 2023. He will be available for free consultations after that time.

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Please keep in mind that the success of any legal matter depends on the unique circumstances of each case and we cannot guarantee particular results for future clients based on successes we have achieved in past legal matters.