Each year, the University of Rhode Island hosts two conferences: the Labor Arbitration Conference, held in the fall and presented in partnership with the National Academy of Arbitrators, and the Labor and Employment Law Conference, hosted in the spring in partnership with the Roger Williams University School of Law.
These events—designed for employers, unions, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, and government agencies—convene leaders in the field to network and discuss legislative trends, research findings, best practices, and emerging issues.
Upcoming Events
Timely Compliance, Regulation, and Litigation Insights—Straight from the Experts
Conference sessions will address state and federal court updates, changes at the National Labor Relations Board, implications of the rapid integration of AI into workplace environments and functions, how employers can stay true to their DEI values while remaining compliant with evolving federal regulations.
38th Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference: Our Sponsor Partners
Past Events
26th Annual Labor Arbitration Conference
Main sessions included “A Judge’s View of Arbitration,” a conversation with Hon. William Smith (U.S.D.C, RI) and Hon. Melissa Long (RI Supreme Court), and an audience favorite: Red Light/Green Light, in which arbitrators evaluate and debate case rulings. Breakout sessions focused on Legal Updates from the NLRB & Federal Courts, news from FMCS and NMB, Opening Statements and Direct and Cross-Examination, Alternatives to Arbitration Including the Postal Service’s Experience with Preliminary Step Process, and Challenges to Conventional Wisdom About the Attributes Sought by Parties in the Arbitrator Selection Process.
37th Annual Labor & Employment Law Conference
Sessions covered key legal updates from state and federal courts, a significant Supreme Court case, evolving standards for artificial intelligence, and related ethical responsibilities. A newly added session examined legal challenges to executive actions impacting labor and employment law. A highlight of the event was a fireside chat with The Honorable George Nee, President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO (Ret.), and The Honorable George Healy, Jr., Chief Judge of the Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Court (Ret.).
25th Annual Labor Arbitration Conference
This two-day conference featured a film screening of “Interview with The Honorable George Mitchell,” former U.S. Senator from Maine; Keynote Speaker Thomas Anton Kochan, the George Maverick Bunker Professor of Management, Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management (Cambridge, MA); and a plenary Legal Update session with Laura Sacks, Director, Region 1, National Labor Relations Board (Boston, MA) and Carly Iafrate, Attorney, The Law Office of Carly B. Iafrate (Providence, RI). Skills sessions were held on Cross Examination and Opening Statements & Brief Writing. Other session topics included Organizing in New Sectors, Ethics of Vacating Arbitration Awards, Public Sector Strikes & Binding Arbitration, and DEI Remarks.
36th Annual Labor & Employment Law Conference
This conference featured crucial updates and discussions surrounding labor relations, human resources, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Session topics included State and Federal Court Updates, DEI Affirmative Action, NLRB and DOL updates, Work vs. Family. The conference featured a keynote by Gayle Goldin, Deputy Director for the Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, and concluded with a fireside chat with Lynette Labinger, J.D., New York University School of Law, Civil Rights Attorney and Cynthia Hiatt, Commissioner, Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights.
24th Annual Labor Arbitration Conference
The theme of the Fall 2023 Labor Arbitration Conference was “Rapid Changes in the Workplace.” Session topics included Employee Ownership and Labor-Management Relations, Preparing Your Case for Arbitration, The Story Behind the Story: What value, if any, does the Grievant’s life story have in trying to make fair and proper decisions?, Ethical Implications of Impartial Decision Making, Just Cause: Is It Time to Bury the Seven Tests?, and Social Media. The conference featured a plenary session on Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace, and a pre-program film screening of “The Art of Arbitration.”
