Labor Law

Since its founding in 1945, Gilbert & Sackman has specialized in representing private and public sector labor unions. In all, the firm currently represents more than forty international and local labor unions. These include unions in the entertainment, retail, health care, construction, manufacturing, printing, transportation, and other industries.

Gilbert & Sackman handles union grievances, arbitrations, collective bargaining negotiations, and organizing campaigns. We represent labor unions in state and federal courts, in labor arbitration, and before administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Public Employee Relations Board, and the Department of Labor. In addition, the firm handles most legal problems for labor unions as institutions, from buying or selling a building to disputes with the union's own employees and vendors.

Gilbert & Sackman has gained national prominence because of its innovative and aggressive approaches to representing unions against employers. For example, Gilbert & Sackman obtained the first (very favorable) Court of Appeal decision under California's anti-injunction statute (Labor Code § 1138, et seq.), UFCW Local 324 v. Superior Court, 83 Cal. App. 4th 566 (2000), and then successfully defended the same client from an injunction action brought during the recent grocery strike.

When representing unions as institutions, Gilbert & Sackman has been just as innovative and aggressive. For example, in a case defended by Gilbert & Sackman, the California Supreme Court ruled that wrongful discharge suits cannot be brought against unions by non-elected business representatives, even those covered by a written contract. Screen Extras Guild v. Superior Court, 51 Cal. 3d 1017 (1990). The Supreme Court's decision was recently followed in another case brought by a confidential secretary and defended by Gilbert & Sackman, Thunderburk v. UFCW Local 324, 92 Cal. App. 4th 1332 (2001).