National Academy of Arbitrators (NAA) – 77th Annual Meeting & Education Conference, May 7-10, 2024, Hilton Park Plaza, Boston, MA.  Registration opens in January 2024.  Note that the NAA also maintains a calendar of continuing education and regional activities; in particular:

• Southwest Rockies Region recently hosted its 45th Annual Labor-Management Conference on February 22-24, 2024 at the Dallas Love Field Embassy Suites, with the topic AI and Automation in the Workplace.

• Northern California Region hosted a 2023 Labor Arbitration Advocacy Conference on September 29, 2023 at the Elihu M. Harris State Office Building in Oakland, CA (*I participated in several panels with fellow PERC and SMCS arbitrator panelists).  

• Southeast Region Labor Advocacy Training and Labor Arbitrator Conference took place on March 1-2, 2024 at the Hyatt House Tampa Airport/Westshore, Tampa, FL.

Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) – 75th Annual Meeting, June 1-4, 2023, MotorCity Hotel and Casino, Detroit, MI (*I led panels on organizing and starting a new arbitrator practice; materials available online).  LERA also maintains a calendar of the 36 local chapters that meet across the country on a regular basis, with a mix of in-person gatherings and many virtual and hybrid attendance options.

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) – National Labor-Management Conference.  The NLMC brings together labor, management, practitioners, government agencies, advocates, and neutrals.  Meetings have typically been held in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, IL, with virtual convenings in 2020 and 2022.

In 2024, the NLMC will take place in New York, NY alongside the LERA and ILERA meetings (June 26-30, 2024, Hilton Midtown Manhattan - registration is now open on the LERA website).  I will moderate a panel on Card Check and Financialization with Ph.D. students and researchers presenting best papers in a LERA competition.  I will also be speaking on an Ask the Arbitrator panel and a Drug Testing in the Workplace panel through the FMCS programming.  

The FMCS Arbitrator Symposium, co-sponsored by the NAA Mid-Atlantic Region and the New Jersey chapter of LERA, was held on October 12-13, 2023 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

American Bar Association (ABA) – The Labor and Employment Law Section hosts a number of events online and in-person throughout the year, including an annual conference each fall.  The 2023 Section conference is on November 8-11, 2023 in Seattle.  The 2024 conference will take place on November 13-16 in New York City.

National Association of Railroad Referees (NARR) -  2023 Conference.  September 20-22, 2023, Chicago, IL. The annual gathering brings together rail carriers, rail unions, arbitrators and the National Mediation Board to discuss issues under the Railway Labor Act.  2024 conference save the date: September 25-27.

National Centers for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education Professions (NCSCBHEP) – 51th Anniversary Annual Conference. March 17-19, 2024, Hunter College, New York, NY . This annual gathering brings together faculty and staff unions, institutional representatives, advocates, neutrals and policymakers to discuss labor and employment-related issues in higher education.  In 2024, I moderated a panel on Collective Bargaining and Museums.

Society of Federal Labor & Employee Relations Professionals (SFLERP) - 50th Annual Symposium.  March 14-15, 2024, Hilton Arlington National Landing Hotel, Arlington, VA.  Annual gathering of labor, management and neutrals in the federal sector.  Check the SFLERP website for additional training opportunities throughout the year, including a replay of my recent participation in a webinar discussion on selecting arbitrators in the federal sector.

Boston LERA Chapter Meeting, November 15, 2022, Dorchester Brewing Co. (Photo Credit: M. Loconto).

Local LERA Chapters

*Remember to check the local LERA chapters for upcoming gatherings, which are regularly updated.  Upcoming and recent statewide and regional conferences to be aware of are:

California: 41st Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference.  Virtual event, July 17, 2024.  Sponsored by the SoCal LERA Chapter.

  Virginia:  Collective Bargaining & Collaborative Approaches to Labor Relations Conference. The Virginia LERA chapter          recently hosted its second annual full-day conference in Richmond on statewide public sector issues, on September 14,     2023 at the Richmond Marriott (*I participated as a panelist on the "red light/green light" arbitrator panel).

Maine: the LERA-Maine Chapter's half-day conference was recently held in Scarborough on November 17, 2023.

Washington state: 47th Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Conference.  March 28, 2024, Hotel Murano, Tacoma, WA.  Sponsored by the Northwest LERA Chapter.

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Alphabetical, by state:

Alabama

          Governor’s Labor Management Conference.  The conference last met on June 5, 2023; no current status for 2024.

Arkansas

Annual Labor & Management Conference.  Summer meeting co-sponsored by the Arkansas AFL-CIO and local industry; no current status for 2024.

California

2023 Western Mechanical Labor Management Conference. April 12-14, 2023, Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort, Rancho Mirage, CA. A program organized by unions and employers in the mechanical and plumbing industry across the Western United States and Canada; no current status for 2024.

Florida

Annual Public Employment Labor Relations Forum.  The Florida Bar Labor and Employment Law Section maintains a roster of annual events, including a fall meeting focused on public sector labor issues.  The 2023 event took place on October 19 in Orlando (more details at the link above).

24th Annual Labor and Employment Law Annual Update and Certification Review.  January 25-26, 2024, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL.  According to the Bar's website: "The 24th Labor and Employment Law Annual Update and Certification Review is an “alphabet soup” of L & E topics.  This two-day course updates labor and employment practitioners and prepares lawyers who are taking the Labor and Employment Law certification exam."

Advanced Labor Topics 2024.  April 18-19, 2024, Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC.  The Florida Bar Labor and Employment Law Section will host this event; details TBD.

Florida Labor Management Conference.  The conference last met in 2019; the Facebook page has not been updated since 2021.

Georgia

2024 Georgia Labor Management Conference.  June 12-14, 2024, Sea Palms Resort, St. Simons Island, GA.

Illinois

Federal Sector Labor Relations and Labor Law Conference.  Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, IL.   

Kentucky

Kentucky Labor-Management Conference.  September 10-12, 2024 Kentucky Dam Village State Park, Gilbertsville, KY.

Northern Kentucky University Alternative Dispute Resolution Center.  The Center hosts an annual labor-management conference in the spring. Check back for details.

Louisiana-Mississippi

Louisiana-Mississippi Labor-Management Conference.  The 2022 conference was cancelled (web domain no longer operational).

Massachusetts

50th Annual Robert Fuchs Labor Law Conference.  February 15, 2024, Suffolk Law School, Boston, MA (12:30 - 5 pm).  A program of the Massachusetts Bar Association, focused on the public sector.  NLRB Chair Lauren McFerran and Member Marvin Kaplan were the featured speakers at this year's event.

44th Annual Labor & Employment Spring Conference.  May 24, 2023, Suffolk Law School, Boston, MA.  A program of the Massachusetts Bar Association.  One-day conference (10 am to 6 pm) featured EEOC Vice Chair Jocelyn Samuels and a networking reception.  Look for information about the 2024 event soon.

Cushing-Gavin Awards.  Annual dinner and awards ceremony honoring labor, management and neutral contributors to the labor community.  The event is held each December, hosted by The Labor Guild of Boston.  The event typically takes place at the IBEW Local 103 Hall in Dorchester.

Michigan

Upper Peninsula Labor-Management Council 2024 Annual Conference. March 14, 2024, Island Resort & Casino, Harris, MI.

State Bar of Michigan, Labor & Employment Law Section Annual Meeting.  January 19, 2024, Detroit Athletic Club, Detroit, MI. 

Minnesota

Bureau of Mediation Services Open House.  April 17, 2024, St. Paul, MN.  Save the date for an event at the new BMS offices in Bandana Square. Programming includes: an arbitrator meet & greet; an arbitrator-advocate mixer; and a reception to view the new BMS office suite.

Labor & Employment Law Institute.  November 16, 2023, Minnesota CLE Conference Center, Minneapolis, MN.  Annual program featuring NLRB officials and current issues facing the labor-management community. 

Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute.  May 20-21, 2024, RiverCentre, St. Paul, MN.  

Labor and Employment Annual Dinner.  June 13, 2023, Mosaic Venue, Minneapolis, MN.  Annual dinner hosted by the labor & employment law section of the Minnesota, Hennepin County and Ramsey County Bar Associations.

Missouri

Mid-America Labor/Management Conference.  July 7-10, 2024, Camden on the Lake, Lake Ozark, MO.  The Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City organizes this annual event; watch the website or the organization’s Facebook page for registration information.

Montana

          Big Sky Labor & Employment Conference.  August 6-8, 2024, Big Sky, MT. 

43rd Annual Arbitration and Labor Relations Conference.  August 29-31, 2023, Billings Convention Center, Billings, MT.  2024 conference save the date: October 1-3, Copper King Hotel & Convention Center, Butte, MT.

New Jersey

2024 Public Employment Conference.  May 2, 2024, Hilton East Brunswick, East Brunswick, NJ.  Annual public-sector labor law conference sponsored by the state Public Employee Relations Commission. 

2024 Labor and Employment Law Forum.  March 8, 2024, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ.  Event details TBD.  

New York

75th Annual NYU Conference on Labor & Employment Law.  May 23-24, 2023, NYU Law, New York, NY. 2024 conference save the date: May 22-23. 

New York State Bar Association Labor & Employment Section events.  The NYSBA hosts several in-person events each year.  The L&E section hosted a half-day session at the NYSBA Annual Meeting in Manhattan on January 18-19, 2024.  The section's annual Fall Meeting took place in Toronto, Canada in October 2023.  Check back for future events and webinar opportunities.

Ohio

          Annual Arbitrator & Advocate Symposium.  October 26-27, 2023, Crown Plaza Columbus-North Worthington, Columbus, Ohio. Fall meeting co-sponsored by FMCS, LERA and NAA.

Oklahoma

2024 Oklahoma Labor/Management Conference.  May 8-9, 2024, The Hilton Garden Inn and Edmond Conference Center, Edmond, OK.

Oregon

Oregon Labor Law Conference (OLLC) 2024.  January 26, 2024, IBEW Local 48 Meeting Hall, Portland, OR.

Oregon ERB / Oregon LERA Chapter joint one-day conference (save the date).  May 30, 2024, Salem Convention Center, Salem, OR.  Celebrating 50 years of the PECBA.  

Pennsylvania

2023 Pennsylvania Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section Annual Retreat.  March 17-18, 2023, The              Hotel Hershey, Hershey, PA; no current 2024 status.

Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island Schmidt Labor Research Center.  The Center hosts two annual conferences.  The Spring conference focuses on labor and employment law issues at the state and federal level and took place on April 14, 2023 at the Roger Williams Law School Appellate Courtroom, Bristol, RI.  The 2024 conference will return to Roger Williams on April 4.

The Fall conference focuses on labor arbitration and is co-planned by the NAA New England region.  The 2024 conference will take place on November 7-8, 2024 at the Newport Marriott, Newport, RI (pre-conference activities on the evening of  Thursday, November 7). More info to come.

South Carolina

39th Annual NC/SC Labor & Employment Conference.  The North Carolina and South Carolina bar associations co-host this annual conference and alternate sites between the two states.  The 2023 conference took place on October 27-28, 2023 at the Charleston Marriott, in Charleston, SC.  No current status is available for 2024, presumably to take place in North Carolina.

Tennessee

34rd Annual Tennessee Labor-Management Conference.  The Tennessee Labor-Management Foundation hosts two annual meetings. The most recent scheduled meeting was in Gatlinburg on August 21-23, 2023.

Virginia

53nd Annual Conference on Labor and Employment Law.  The Virginia Bar Association recently hosted a multi-day gathering of the labor and employment law section, at the Hyatt Regency in Reston on September 21-23, 2023.