Decades of Labor & Employment Law Experience

Petrarca, Gleason, Boyle & Izzo, LLC has significant experience defending and counseling both private and public clients in labor and employment law matters. Our labor and employment clients include local businesses, nonprofit organizations, school districts, charter schools, municipalities, and other government agencies.

Our attorneys are in daily contact with our clients regarding personnel issues.  We provide guidance and advice concerning all areas of the labor/management relationship, including employee discipline, evaluation, non-renewal, remediation, reduction in force, and discharge.  We also regularly review and revise employee handbooks, employment policies, and procedures.

Frequently we address questions regarding:

• The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (IWCA)
• The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)
• The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act (IELRA)
• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)

We work with our clients to avoid or minimize the possibility of litigation against them.  But litigation is often inevitable, and all our attorneys have extensive litigation experience representing our clients in State and federal courts and administrative agencies in a variety of labor and employment matters.  We regularly represent our clients before the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board, the National Labor Relations Board, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and the Illinois Department of Labor.  We also defend our clients in arbitration when grievances are brought against them for violations of collective bargaining agreements.

We also have decades of bargaining experience with employee unions.  Our preferred method of negotiation is collaborative; we have utilized interest-based bargaining, or the collaborative concepts and skills underlying interest-based bargaining, to resolve contracts.  Of course, our approach to collective bargaining is determined by the preferences and goals of the client.  We employ traditional bargaining techniques whenever appropriate to meet the client’s goals.

We also provide training on labor and employment matters.  We host regular seminars both virtually and in-person to provide updates on new legislation and other legal developments and topics of interest.