John R. Russell has an of-counsel relationship with the Chicago law firm, Laner Muchin, Ltd. The firm concentrates exclusively in the representation of employers in labor relations, employment litigation, employee benefits and business immigration matters. The firm provides legal services to clients from coast to coast.
Mr. Russell has been working with two of the firms partners, Mark Bennett and Thomas Bradly for many years, providing legal support for many of the firm’s public sector clients.
Mr. Russell worked with Mr. Bennett and Mr Bradley in sharing a comprehensive analysis of interest arbitration under Illinois law, public sector bargaining rights and applications of interest arbitration in crisis situations in their recent article published in the Illinois Public Employee Relations Report by the University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations and Chicago-Kent College of Law.
The article, titled “Interest Arbitration During Economic and Social Crisis,” traces the development of interest arbitration from the 1979 Chicago Firefighters Strike to the passage of the Illinois public labor acts and thereafter, analyzing how interest arbitration has been used to resolve public labor disputes during times of economic downturn, social unrest, pandemic and other social crises up to the present. The article provides the historical and electoral backdrop against which interest arbitration developed and a detailed analysis of the theories and criticisms of interest arbitration now in use.
“Anyone interested in understanding how interest arbitration works, where it came from, or how it may be used to resolve labor disputes – especially in times of crisis – would benefit from reading the article,” Bennett said.
To read the full article published in the Illinois Public Employee Relations Report, click here.
