Programs
Meetings are generally held in the evenings from September through May or June in downtown Cleveland.  Guest speakers come from the regional and national labor and employment relations community.  These meetings provide useful information concerning contemporary topics and a relaxed forum for labor, management and neutrals to exchange ideas, discuss issues and further business relationships.  Notices of upcoming meetings are posted on the web page and circulated by email.

2009-2010 Program Year

May 6, 2010 - The Effect of the Economic Downturn on Multi-Employer Plans with Terry Joyce (Laborers Local #310); Teresa Pofok (Goldstein Gragel LLC) and Mark Laskey (Construction Employers Association.  Click here for further information.

Our next program is scheduled for Monday, January 11, 2010 and will feature Joe Rugola, President of the Ohio AFL-CIO on "How the Down Economy has Affected Labor Relations in Ohio.  Click here for more information and to register.

2008-2009 Program Year

May 27, 2009.  Health Care and Other Topics Before Congress.  Speaker is John Yarmuth, Congressman from the 3rd District of Kentucky.  Doubletree Hotel Downtown Cleveland.  Cocktails at 5:45, dinner at 6:15, speaker from 7:30-8:30 p.m.  Prepaid $35, $40 at the door.

Contact LERA to register.

April 16, 2009.  Wilma Liebman, NLRB Chairman.  Doubletree Hotel Downtown Cleveland.  Among the 80+ attendees were faculty and graduate students from Cleveland State University.

Left to right:  Nels Nelson, Paulina Han, Libby Pike, David Colucci, Tina Romito Cammarata, Deonna Kereky, Lindsay Howell, Wu Lin, Geeta Verghese, Brian Beallor, Nikki Mangano, Laural Wagner, and Mary Hrivnak.  Professors Hrivnak and Nelson teach in the Master of Labor Relations and Human Resources Program at Cleveland State University.  The others are students in the program.  Missing from the photo are Karen Sawka and Bill Leamon.

January 22, 2009, Announcement of Member Liebman's designation as Chairman.

March 12, 2009.  Informal and Formal Discovery in Arbitration:  A Panel Discussion.
Jeff Firestone (forensic accountant), Sue Daniels (private investigator ), Susan Grody Rubin (arbitrator).  Doubletree Hotel Downtown Cleveland/Lakeside.

January 13, 2009.  Robert S. Ditillo, Director of Mediation Services for the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service, Ohio and West Virginia Sub-Region. 
2008-2009 welcome letter and meeting announcement.

2007-2008 Program Year

June 24, 2008.  Mayor Martin K. Zanotti of Parma Heights spoke on regionalism of safety forces.  Annual meeting including election of officers and board members followed.

July 3, 2008 Cleveland Plain Dealer article, "12 suburbs may form dispatch district."

June 22, 2008 Cleveland Plain Dealer letter to the editor from Martin Zanotti, "Regional fire district more than a hot idea."

June 19, 2008 Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial, "District to the rescue."

June 18, 2008 Cleveland Plain Dealer letter to the editor from Jon Dileno, "Regional fire district costs far outway benefits.

June 11, 2008 Cleveland Plain Dealer article, "Chiefs oppose creating 7-city fire district, for now."

On April 28, 2008, The Hon. Betty Sutton, Representative of the 13th U. S. Congressional District in Ohio, addressed and took questions on recent federal legislation and legislative efforts directly and indirectly affecting employers and the working lives of all Americans in general and northeast Ohioans in particular. 

Regionalism & Health Care:  The Lucas County Experience.  February 20, 2008.  James P. Wells (Wells & Associates LLC.)

What Unions Do.  November 7, 2007.  Harriet Applegate, Executive Secretary, North Shore Federation of Labor.

2006-2007 Program Year

Labor Relations/Alternate Dispute Resolution, A Global View.  June 12, 2007.  Eileen Hoffman, National President of the Labor and Employment Relations Association.

NLRB Update.  April 10, 2007.  Ronald Meisburg, National Labor Relations Board General Counsel.

Round Table Discussion on the Future of Labor-Management Relations.  How do we address the issues of pensions to meet the future competitive climate?  How do we approach health care to be competitive and meet the needs of labor?  What are the advantages/disadvantages of a unionized organization in both the public and private sectors?  Should the Chapter hold a one-day forum on Northeast Ohio labor-management survival?  February 13, 2007 meeting cancelled due to weather.

Challenges of the New Political Climate:  Possible Impact on Labor and Employment.
On December 12, 2006, LERA's members enjoyed the opportunity to share an evening with Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Steve Hoffman, editorial writer at the Akron Beacon Journal, who discussed the possible effects of the recent elections in Ohio.  A former political reporter for the ABJ and a current editorialist with the paper, Mr. Hoffman shared his unique insights regarding the political landscapes in both northeast Ohio and state-wide.  Topics discussed included the then ongoing strike against Goodyear Tire & Rubber by the Steelworkers*; the search to develop affordable higher education in Ohio; the brain-drain that northeast Ohio is experiencing and the possible change in direction that the State of Ohio will undergo under the direction of Governor-elect Ted Strickland.  LERA thanks Mr. Hoffman for sharing his evening with us.  It certainly was an enjoyable and thought-provoking event.
*The strike began October 5.  On December 28, the Steelworkers approved a 3-year contract by a 2-1 margin.

September 26, 2006 - The Executive Board today tentatively set December 12, 2006, for our first meeting of the season.  Program to be announced.  Other meetings are planned for the second Tuesday, every other month through June, i.e. February 13, April 10 and June 12, 2007.  Details forthcoming by email, webpage and U.S. mail.

2005-2006 Program Year

June 15, 2006 - Meeting Unmet Labor Needs:  Strategies for Hiring and Retaining Foreign Workers.  Speaker was Attorney David Leopold who has handled a broad range of employment and family-based immigration litigation, served as liaison to various federal agencies charged with the implementation of immigration policy, and whose views have appeared in such national media as The New York Times, CNN and NPR.  This was also our annual meeting at which officers and executive board members were elected.

April 25, 2006 - Globalization:  Impact and Challenges on the Public and Private Sectors.  Leslie F. Hough, Director of Research and Strategic Planning, W. J. Usery, Jr. Center for the Workplace at Georgia State University.

March 23, 2006 - Prof. J.B. Silvers of Case Western Reserve University addressed about 40 members on the rationale and mechanics of High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) coupled with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).  Attendees participated in a short exercise designed to show how these programs work and the differential monetary effects on participants depending on their general health.  "Very healthy" participants facing identical "health-incident years" as participants who were "chronically ill."  The effect of this was that the "very healthy" had growing HSA balances in every year of the 8-year simulation, whereas the "chronically ill" faced expenses depleting their HSA balances and requiring net out-of-pocket expenses.  Prof. Silvers' talk and the simulation sparked one of the liveliest discussion of the group in recent memory.  A short business meeting followed in which members of LERA (now merged with PSLRA) approved an amendment to the By-Laws to protect our non-profit status.  Members were also asked to submit names for the upcoming election of Executive Board members.  Heading the nomination committee are Vice Presidents Bill Lavezzi and Bill Menzalora.

January 26, 2006 - Prof. Thomas A Kochan, author of Restoring the American Dream:  A Working Families' Agenda for America.  Joint meeting with PSLRA.  The meeting, held at the UFCW Local 880 union hall on Euclid Avenue with catering provided by Heinen's, was a sell-out.  Business meeting preceded the program, with members unanimously approving new by-laws to accommodate merger with PSLRA and a transitional executive board.  The contributions of the most recent past presidents of the two organizations were also recognized with presentation of awards to each.

Member Hirschel Kasper talks with former student, Prof. Thomas A. Kochan

2004-2005 Program Year

June 16, 2005 - Frederick Calatrello, NLRB Region 8 Regional Director spoke on current NLRB decisions.  In addition, this was our annual meeting at which we installed new Officers and Executive Board members and voted on a Bylaws amendment to change our name from Industrial Relations Research Association, Northeast Ohio Region to Labor and Employment Relations Association, Northeast Ohio Region to conform with the name change of our parent organization.

February 10, 2005 - Mitchell C. Schneider, President of First Interstate Properties, Ltd, spoke on the successful relationship between organized labor and management on his recent Legacy Village project.  He also told us about his plans for the Steelyard Commons project and how this project will impact Northeast Ohio and its workforce.

September 30, 2004 - John Ryan, head of the Cleveland AFL-CIO, speaker.  Also recognizing Tom Frisbe, retiring from the International Association of Machinists.  Holiday Inn Lakeside.  Cash bar 5:30, dinner and program followed.

2003-2004 Program Year

Why is Northeast Ohio losing jobs and young workers?
What does the future portend?  What can be done to reverse the trend?

May 13, 2004 - David R. McCall, Director of United Steelworkers of America, District 1.  Joint program with PSLRA at the Sheraton City Centre.  Cash bar at 5:30 p.m., dinner and program followed.

March 25, 2004 - Tim Mueller, Strategic Planner for the City of Cleveland gives the City's perspective.  Joint program with PSLRA at the Holiday Inn Lakeside.  Cash bar at 5:30 p.m., dinner and program follow.

December 17, 2003 - Doug Oplanger, Akron Beacon Journal reporter, defined the problem, discussing what he found and reported in a series on Ohio as a state in decline.  This program kicked off a 4-part series on why northeast Ohio is losing jobs and younger workers.  Joint program with PSLRA.

2002-2003 Program Year

June 19, 2003 - Eileen Vernon, District Vice President of the American Arbitration Association discussed issues pertaining to the diversification and recruitment of arbitrators. Joint meeting with PSLRA.  Annual meeting of Chapter followed.

December 5, 2002 - The Honorable Jane Campbell, Mayor of the City of Cleveland.  (Joint meeting with PSLRA)

September 12, 2002 - Views on the Steel Industry.  Dave McCall, Director of the United Steelworkers of America discussed his views on the steel industry, past, present and future.

2001-2002 Program Year

June 14, 2002 - The Return of the Thoroughbreds.  A luncheon meeting at Thistledown Race Track to honor Ken Evans on his retirement from the FMCS and many years of service to the Chapter.  Annual business meeting followed.

April 11, 2002 - Union Construction Industry Partnership.  Loree Soggs, Executive Secretary of the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, and John Porada, Executive Vice President of the Construction Employers Association spoke about UCIP, a cooperative partnership between the Union Building & Construction Trades and Management to enhance opportunities by improving market share and the image of the construction industry.  They were joined by Bob Verhoff, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Organized Labor Management Council.

December 13, 2001 - Subcontracting in the Public Sector.  Amy Hanauer, Executive Director of Policy Matters Ohio reviewed research she and others have conducted regarding the actual, frontline results of privatization of public services.  Joint meeting with PSLRA.

September 25, 2001 - Labor Relations in the NBA.  Last year we went to the track for the inside scoop, this year we were at the Gund.  Jim Paxson, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball team, addressed our group on labor relations in the NBA, including the NBA collective bargaining agreement, salary cap, and player relations.  Following the luncheon meeting at the beautiful Bridges Restaurant in the Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland members enjoyed a tour of the arena.

2000-2001 Program Year

June 6, 2001 - The NLRB under Bush.  Fred Calatrello, Regional Director of Region 8 of the NLRB shared his views of where the Board presently is and where he expects it to go under the new Administration.  Among the topics he addressed were deferral policies, backlog reduction, budget expectations, General Counsel and Board appointments, 10(j) program, Beck revisitation, Epilepsy Foundation, withdrawal of recognition, cyberspace issues, neutrality clause as a mandatory issue and contingent workers.

A short business meeting was also conducted during which Executive Board Members and Officers for the 2001-2002 term were elected.  Outgoing President Eileen Vernon turned the gavel over to incoming President Robert Rosenfeld.

April 26-27, 2001 - Conference on the Troubled Employee.  Co-sponsored by Cincinnati, Cleveland and Detroit chapters of the IRRA; Regions 9 and 10 of the National Academy of Arbitrators; Cleveland region of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; Cincinnati, Cleveland and Detroit offices of the American Arbitration Association; the Labor-Management Relations Center of Cleveland State University; and the Fraser Center for Workplace issues of Wayne State University.  Keynote speakers were John Kagel, President of the National Academy of Arbitrators, "One Arbitrator's View of the Troubled Employee," and John F. Burton, Jr., President Elect of IRRA, "Legal Issues and Troubled Employees."

January 24, 2001 - Labor Legislation in the 107th Congress.  John Ryan, Executive Director of the AFL-CIO will talk about the agenda both in Congress and the Ohio Legislature.  Professor Ronald J. Busch of the Political Science Department of Cleveland State University discussed the process and labor legislation's rocky future.

August 30, 2000 - Labor Relations in Thoroughbred Racing (field trip to Thistledown)