L&ER operates on behalf of and provides assistance to every unit administratively reporting to UIC, including the 16 colleges, the hospital and health science system, administrative and auxiliary units, and UIC operations in Rockford, Peoria, and Springfield.
Some of the specific undertakings include:
Some of the specific undertakings include:
labor relations: developing University bargaining strategies and proposals for the 21 campus bargaining units; negotiating labor contracts and providing contract interpretation; adjudicating grievance hearings; labor training; involvement in matters at external agencies such as the labor board, Illinois Department of Labor and in arbitration; and, advising and consulting managers and administrators in the area of labor relations.
employee relations: counseling civil service employees on employment policies and rules as established by the University and Civil Service; advising managers on job behavior and performance matters, providing related training and implementation of a system of corrective/progressive discipline; conducting pre-disciplinary hearings and reconciliation meetings for civil service employees; and, participating in grievance arbitration and Civil Service Merit Board hearings. Also, L&ER provides general advice and assistance on employee relations matters pertaining to academic professional employees.
The UIC Labor and Employee Relations Team is comprised of individuals with rich professional backgrounds who address very strategic day-to-day challenging and complex matters arising from a high volume of issues under our collective bargaining agreements and the wide range of employee relations matters pertaining to the approximately 8000 administrative and support employees and 1100 unionized faculty. All the negotiators in L&ER are attorneys but they do not represent the University as legal counsel or provide legal advice, that role is handled by the lawyers in the Office of University Counsel. The L&ER Team reports jointly to Executive Director of University Labor and Employee Relations/Deputy University Counsel Steve Veazie and UIC Assistant VP for HR Robert Crouch.
Director of Labor and Employee Relations Tom Riley provides strategy and direction and manages the activities of the department. In addition to overseeing the department, Tom also serves as the lead University negotiator in the new tenure system faculty bargaining unit. Tom has been at the University for almost 15 years and before joining L&ER he worked in the Office of University Counsel for 8 years handling labor and employment matters. Prior to working at the University Tom was a partner in the Chicago office of a national law firm focused solely on advising and litigating on behalf of employers. Before joining the law firm, Tom handled public-sector labor matters for the county as an assistant to then Cook County State’s Attorney Richard M. Daley in the labor and employment unit.
Associate Director of Labor and Employee Relations Steve Katz has been at the University for 4 years and he is primarily responsible for collective bargaining and related activities for the four large bargaining units represented by SEIU Local 73 covering Service, Clerical, Technical and Professional employees. He also is the lead University negotiator for non-tenure system faculty bargaining unit. Additionally, Steve provides support on employee relations issues involving academic professionals for the “west side colleges” of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, dentistry, and applied health sciences. Steve has over 35 years of experience as a labor attorney representing both management and labor unions, and prior to joining the University he served as general counsel to the Rockford School District.
Associate Director of Labor and Employee Relations Dan Harper has been with the University for 4 years and he is primarily responsible for collective bargaining and related activities for the police unions, Teamster-represented unit, and trade unions (electricians, operating engineers, painters, carpenters, and fireman/oilers, and implementing wage programs for prevailing rate employees). Additionally, Dan provides support on employee relations issues involving academic professionals for non-college administrative units such as facilities, student affairs, development, OVCR, and 50% of Dan’s appointment is in reporting to UIC Assistant VP for HR Robert Crouch. Dan is an attorney and has a master’s degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell, where he also taught. He also previously has held HR leadership roles at hospitals and large corporations.
Assistant Director of Labor and Employee Relations and Compliance Marilyn Lablaiks has been with the University for 5 years and she is primarily responsible for collective bargaining and related activities for the nurse unions, hospital security guards, and the graduate student employees. Additionally, Marilyn provides support on employee relations issues involving academic professionals for the “east side colleges” of education, liberal arts and sciences, architecture and the arts, engineering, library, business administration, social work, urban planning and public affairs, and the graduate and honors colleges. Marilyn spends 50% of her appointment reporting to UIC HR Director of Shared Services Jack McEnery primarily in the area of hospital HR compliance. Marilyn is an attorney and a nurse and joined the University after serving as the labor relations manager at University of Chicago Hospital.
Amy Levant returned from retirement to assist L&ER in coordinating activities and negotiations in the area of the two new faculty bargaining units. Amy had worked at UIC for over 20 years as Associate Dean in the Graduate College and most recently as the Interim Vice Provost for Academic and Enrollment Services. Amy is familiar with the collective bargaining process having been a key member of the University bargaining teams in negotiations of the initial and subsequent collective bargaining agreements with the graduate assistants, the largest union represented group on campus.
HR Associate Elise Williams handles all aspects of employee relations for civil service employees campus wide, including for those campus related units in Rockford, Peoria and Springfield. Her work includes counseling civil service employees on policies and advising managers on job behavior and employee performance, as well as providing related training. Elise is responsible for implementation of a system of corrective/progressive discipline set forth under the State University Civil Service Statue and she drafts charges, conducts pre-disciplinary hearings and reconciliation meetings, and testifies in grievance arbitration and Civil Service Merit Board hearings. Elise has worked at the University over 18 years, originally working as a claims analyst for the campus workers’ compensation program, and has been with L&ER for almost 15 years. Prior to joining the University, Elise worked for many years for insurance companies handling cases in the areas of personal injury, workers’ compensation, medical negligence and general liability.
HR Associate Taycine McInnis also handles all aspects of employee relations for civil service employees campus wide, including for those campus related units in Rockford, Peoria and Springfield. Similar to Elise, she is involved in counseling civil service employees on policies and advising managers on job behavior and employee performance, as well as providing related training. Taycine also implements the corrective/progressive discipline set forth under the State University Civil Service Statue and drafts charges, conducts pre-disciplinary hearings and reconciliation meetings, and testifies in grievance arbitration and Civil Service Merit Board hearings. Taycine began work at the University in 1974 and has rejoined us part time after retiring this past summer. Taycine has a wealth of experience having worked in the hospital here on campus for 10 years as an HR Manager and her long support in L&ER ensuring uniform and consistent application of disciplinary action up to and including discharge for the entire UIC campus, as well as participating in extensive training of administrative staff relative to the Civil Service disciplinary process.
HR Representative Milan Valuch has been with L&ER for almost one year and he provides administrative and substantive to support to the Director, as well as other members of the L&ER team. Milan is involved in both the labor and employee relations functions and in addition to administrative support he is becoming familiar with collective bargaining as well as the employee relations processes. He handles and triages inquiries from administrators and employees. Milan has ten years of broad experience at UIC, Governor’s State University, and in private industry in the areas of purchasing, receiving, contract review and negotiations, distribution, and while in OBFS at UIC was a P-Card campus administrator and developed and facilitated various OBFS training courses.
