Pictured: Michael Loconto speaking on the "Ask the Arbitrator" panel during the LERA/FMCS Triad conference, Hilton Midtown, New York, NY, June 27, 2024.  Also pictured: Arthur Pearlstein, Arbitrator from Arlington, VA and former FMCS Director of Arbitration Services; and Arbitrator Shianne Scott of Portland, OR.  Credit: FMCS.

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 National Academy of Arbitrators (NAA) – the 79th Annual Meeting & Education Conference recently took place in Chicago, IL on May  20-23 at the InterContinental Hotel.  The 2027 meeting will be held on May 4-7 in Montreal, Quebec.

Note that the NAA also maintains a calendar of continuing education and regional activities; in particular:

• Southwest Rockies Region recently hosted its 47th Annual Labor-Management Conference on February 19-20, 2026 at the Marriot at Houston South Hobby Airport – 9100 Gulf Fwy, Houston, TX 77017.  2027 save the date: February 25-27 at the Love Field DoubleTree Hotel in Dallas.

• 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).  The 2026 event was recently announced for August 28 in Oakland; click here for more information.

• Southeast Region Labor Advocacy Training and Labor Arbitrator Conference last took place on November 11, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency in Savannah, GA.  2027 Save the Date: February 18-19 at the Embassy Suites, Atlanta Airport South.

Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) – the 78th Annual Meeting was recently held on May 28-31, 2026 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, Minneapolis, MN.  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.  Save the date: the 2027 Annual Meeting will take place at the Marriott in Baltimore, MD on June 10-13; contact me if you have questions for the Program Committee.

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. or Chicago, IL, with virtual convenings in 2020 and 2022.  In 2024, the NLMC took place in New York, NY alongside the LERA and ILERA meetings as the LERA/FMCS Triad (June 26-30, 2024, Hilton Midtown Manhattan).  I participated in an Ask the Arbitrator panel and discussions on AI in Arbitration and Drug Testing in the Workplace.  The FMCS has no plans to reconvene the NLMC under the current administration.

The FMCS Arbitrator Symposium, co-sponsored by the NAA Mid-Atlantic Region and the New Jersey chapter of LERA, was last held on October 12-13, 2023 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.  Similar to the NLMC, the FMCS has no plans to reconvene the symposium under the current administration.

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.  2026 save the date: the annual LEL conference will be held in Washington, D.C. on November 4-7; details to follow.

National Association of Railroad Referees (NARR) -  Annual Conference.  The annual September gathering in Chicago brings together rail carriers, rail unions, arbitrators and the National Mediation Board to discuss issues under the Railway Labor Act.  2026 conference:  September 30 - October 2 at The Palmer House Hilton Hotel; visit the NARR website for details and to register.

National Centers for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education Professions (NCSCBHEP) – 53nd  Annual Conference. March 2026, 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) - Annual Symposium.  March 2026, Hilton Arlington National Landing Hotel, Arlington, VA (with virtual option).  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: 43nd Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference. July 17, 2026, at the UFCW Local 324 Auditorium in Buena Park.  Sponsored by the SoCal LERA Chapter.

  Virginia:  Collective Bargaining & Collaborative Approaches to Labor Relations Conference. The Virginia LERA chapter          hosts an annual full-day conference on statewide public sector issues, typically in September.  Save the date: the fifth annual conference will take place at the Richmond Marriott on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.  Visit the website for updates.   

Maine: the LERA-Maine Chapter's half-day conference is typically held during the fall; check the website for updates on 2026.

Washington state: 49th Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Conference will take place in the Spring of 2026; check the Northwest LERA Chapter website for details.

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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 2026.

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.  Check the website for 2026-2027 programming, which includes an Annual Labor and Employment Law Annual Update and Certification Review and Advanced Labor Topics, among other programming.  

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

Georgia

2026 Georgia Labor Management Conference will take place on June 24-27 at the Sea Palms Resort, St. Simons Island, GA.

Illinois

Federal Sector Labor Relations and Labor Law Conference.  Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, IL.  2026 Save the date: September 17 for a virtual conference; visit the website for additional details.  Kent has also hosted a public sector conference for Illinois practitioners.

Kentucky

Kentucky Labor-Management Conference.  September 9-11, 2025, Kentucky Dam Village State Park, Gilbertsville, KY.  Check the website for 2026 details.

Northern Kentucky University Alternative Dispute Resolution Center.  The Center hosts an annual labor-management conference in the spring. Check the link 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.  The 2026 event recently took place on February 12; check the massbar.org website for the 2027 date.

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.  Check the website for information about the 2027 event.

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

Annual Public Sector Conference.  The Boston Bar Association's annual tradition returned in 2025 and was also held in 2026.  The conference takes place on the first Saturday in May at the BBA's conference space downtown.  2027 save the date: May 1.  Hear from state agencies, labor arbitrators and a recap of recent major state court decisions involving labor and employment issues.

Michigan

Upper Peninsula Labor-Management Council 2024 Annual Conference. Last held on March 14, 2024 at the Island Resort & Casino, Harris, MI.

State Bar of Michigan, Labor & Employment Law Section Annual Meeting.  January 24, 2025, Detroit Athletic Club, Detroit, MI. Check the website for 2026 details.

Minnesota

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

Labor & Employment Law Institute.  Recently held on November 16, 2023 at the Minnesota CLE Conference Center, Minneapolis, MN.  Annual program featuring NLRB officials and current issues facing the labor-management community. Check the website for current updates.

Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute.  May 19-20, 2025, RiverCentre, St. Paul, MN.  Check the website for current dates.

Labor and Employment Annual Dinner.  Annual dinner hosted by the labor & employment law section of the Minnesota, Hennepin County and Ramsey County Bar Associations.  Check the website for current updates.

Missouri

Mid-America Labor/Management Conference.  July 6-9, 2025, 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.  The 2026 event is coming up soon.

Montana

Big Sky Labor & Employment Conference.  6th annual conference.  Save the date: the 2026 conference will be held on August 4-6.

46th Annual Arbitration and Labor Relations Conference.  September 22-24, 2026, Heritage Inn, Great Falls, MT.  Check the website for details.

New Jersey

2026 Public Employment Conference.  April 24, 2026, Delta Hotels Woodbridge, Iselin, NJ.  Annual public-sector labor law conference sponsored by the state Public Employee Relations Commission.

2025 Labor and Employment Law Forum.  March 5, 2025, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ. Check the website for current events.

New York

77th Annual NYU Conference on Labor & Employment Law.  June 9-10, 2025, NYU Law, New York, NY.  2026 Save the Date: October 15-16.

New York State Bar Association Labor & Employment Section events.  The NYSBA hosts several in-person events each year. The L&E section also convenes programming at the NYSBA Annual Meeting.  The section also hosts an annual Fall Meeting: 2026 save the date: October 2-4 at Cornell University in Ithaca.  Check the link for future events and webinar opportunities.  

Ohio

Annual Arbitrator & Advocate Symposium.  Fall meeting co-sponsored by FMCS, LERA and NAA.  2026 save the date: September 10-11 in Columbus, OH.

Oklahoma

2024 Oklahoma Labor/Management Conference.  May 8-9, 2024, The Hilton Garden Inn and Edmond Conference Center, Edmond, OK.  Check the website for current events.

Oregon

Oregon Labor Law Conference (OLLC).  January 31, 2025, IBEW Local 48 Meeting Hall, Portland, OR.  Check the website for 2027 dates.

Oregon ERB / Oregon LERA Chapter joint one-day conference.  May 30, 2024, Salem Convention Center, Salem, OR.  Celebrated 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; check the PBA website for current events.

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 typicalls takes place during the month of April at the Roger Williams Law School in Bristol, RI.  Check the website for current events.

The Fall conference focuses on labor arbitration and is co-planned by the NAA New England region.  2026 save the date: October 26 at the Providence Marriott; I will moderating a panel on past practice in Rhode Island labor arbitration.

South Carolina

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.  Check the website for updates.

Tennessee

Annual Tennessee Labor-Management Conference.  The Tennessee Labor-Management Foundation hosts two annual meetings. 2026 update: the 36th Annual Labor-Management Conference on "Technology and the Tennessee Workforce" will be held on August 17-19 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro, TN.

Texas

Texas Labor-Management Conference.  June 29-July 1, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk in San Antonio.  

Virginia

Annual Conference on Labor and Employment Law.  The Virginia Bar Association hosts an annual, multi-day gathering of the labor and employment law section.  Check the website for updates.

Washington state

59th Annual Pacific Labor Law Conference.  Sponsored by the Labor & Employment Law Section of the King County Bar; the event recently took place at the Seattle Convention Center on April 23-24, 2026.