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About Us

President, Jakwan Rivers
D.O.T Delegate Director,
Vice President, Laquan Word
DSNY Enforcement Delegate Director/Sergeant at arms, Sean Milan
1st Vice President, Yolanda Moore
DSNY Enforcement Delegate Director/ Field Director, Joel Purser
2nd Vice President, Grievance Coordinator, Jeffrey Hunter
Membership coordinator, Teresa Jackson
D.O.T Delegate Director, Karl Brown

DIRECTORY

EXECUTIVE BOARD
  • JRIVERS@LEEBA.INFO - PRESIDENT
  • LWORD@LEEBA.INFO - VICE PRESIDENT
  • YMOORE@LEEBA.INFO - 1st VICE PRESIDENT
  • JHUNTER@LEEBA.INFO - 2nd VICE PRESIDENT
DELEGATE DIRECTORS
  • KBROWN@LEEBA.INFO - D.O.T
  • SMILAN@LEEBA.INFO - DSNY
  • JPURSER@LEEBA.INFO - DSNY
DELEGATE / BENEFIT COORDINATOR
  • Clayton Holdness

Meet Raoul Zaltzberg, Esq.

UNIONS WE REPRESENT
L.E.E.B.A., has members in different agencies, including members of:Department of Sanitation Department of Transportation (DOT)Department of Environmental Police (DEP).
Zaltzberg Law proudly represents all member in relation to any disciplinary matters, grievances, arbitrations and improper practice. We firmly believe that every job is important, every vacation day is sacred, every penny is earned and every member deserves a safe and satisfying work environment.

Meet Attorney Joey Jackson

Joey Jackson is a Nationally recognized attorney who has for over two decades represented individuals and labor unions in state and federal court. As Principal and Founder of JOEY JACKSON LAW, PLLC, Mr. Jackson oversees every aspect of the practice. Mr. Jackson and his associates at JOEY JACKSON LAW, have represented a diverse group of clients under the glare of cameras as well as those who have never attracted public attention. He has built an outstanding career as a trial lawyer representing clients that have fallen into high-stakes personal and professional crises, as well as those that are average citizens in need of his fierce and benevolent counsel. Mr. Jackson has been a member of the New York Bar since 1995. After graduating from Hofstra Law School, Mr. Jackson was appointed Assistant District Attorney under Robert Morgenthau. Following a successful career as a prosecutor where he received the Distinguished Public Service Award, Mr. Jackson joined the firm of Koehler & Isaacs LLP where he served as Senior Trial Counsel specializing in criminal defense. Mr. Jackson has tried cases and received favorable verdicts in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, as well as Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties. At the Federal level, he handles cases in both the Eastern and Southern Districts.
LEARN MORE ABOUT JOEY JACKSON LAW
(917)551-1302
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Meet Steven Isaacs

Managing Partner
Steven Isaacs, the Managing Partner of the firm, has been representing labor organizations and their members for the past ten years. A graduate of Albany Law School of Union University, Mr. Isaacs focuses his practice on criminal matters, labor and employment law, and funds counsel. He primarily represents labor organizations and their members before Federal, State and Administrative courts. Mr. Isaacs has lectured at various seminars on the fiduciary responsibilities of trustees, HIPAA Compliance, Arbitration and Grievance Procedures, the responsibilities of labor organizations during governmental investigations, the duties of fair representation, and what union members should do if they are arrested. With his background, Mr. Isaacs is able to offer advice to labor organizations and their members whenever professional or personal legal problems arise. Mr. Isaacs is an active member of the New York State Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers Association.
Areas of Experience
Memberships
  • Criminal Law
  • Labor and Employment
  • New York State Bar Association
  • New York County Lawyers’ Association
  • New York Criminal Bar Association
  • National Employment Lawyers’ Association
Education
Articles & Publications
  • J.D. Albany Law School of Union University, 1985
  • B.A. State University of New York at Albany, 1981
  • COBA’s Attorneys, Koehler & Isaacs LLP, File Suits to Protect NYC Correction Officers’ Employment and Contractual Rights
Bar Admissions
  • New York
(917) 551-1352
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Meet Cynthia Devasia

Attorney at Law
Ms. Devasia has a long standing and exemplary record representing individual and institutional clients in Labor & Employment litigation and transactional matters. She is a trusted advisor to her clients responsible for litigation strategy, management and execution, risk assessment and mitigation, complex problem solving and crisis management, and negotiation and mediation. As an ardent advocate for individual workers, Ms. Devasia has handled disciplinary hearings, wrongful termination claims, grievance arbitrations, line of duty/job injury claims, EEOC investigations, and harassment and discrimination claims related race, age, gender, nationality and pregnancy discrimination.
She has negotiated, mediated, and/or litigated a variety of employment issues including work-place safety, reasonable accommodation, religious accommodation, and Military Leave and other leaves of absence. She provides guidance on various Human Resources issues and has negotiated employment contracts and separation agreements. She regularly advises regarding state and federal labor and employment laws including the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act and Fair Labor Standards Act. She has extensive experience litigating individual civil rights and has pursued novel Constitutional claims. As General Counsel to public and private sector unions, Ms. Devasia represents unions in New York state and federal courts and administrative agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board, New York State Public Employment Relations Board and Department of Labor, and New York City Office of Collective Bargaining, in various labor law matters including duty of fair representation cases, improper practice and unfair labor practice charges. She has negotiated several collective bargaining agreements and represented unions in mediation and interest arbitration. She regularly presents training programs for union officials and members, handles internal union investigations, and drafts corporate governance documents like union Constitutions and By-laws. Ms. Devasia has also represented non-profit organizations guiding them through the state incorporation and 501(c)(3) qualification processes as well as providing advice on organizational compliance and administration. Ms. Devasia’s extensive employee benefits practice includes advising trustees, administrators or other plan fiduciaries of various public and private sector employee fringe benefit funds including multi-employer jointly trusteed Taft-Hartley funds. She advises regarding fiduciary duties, plan design and administration, withdrawal liability, qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs) and compliance with ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, HIPAA, state insurance laws and federal laws. She has litigated on behalf of benefit funds in cases involving breach of fiduciary duty, benefit denial, and delinquent contribution claims. Ms. Devasia also has extensive experience drafting Trust Documents, Summary Plan Descriptions, and corporate governance policies. Ms. Devasia has appeared in various media outlets on television and radio to discuss Labor & Employment issues including WPIX News 11 and ABC 7 News, and her work has been featured in the New York Law Journal, The Chief-Leader, the Daily News, New York Post and The Associated Press. She is an active member of the New York State Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers Association and its Law Related Education Committee. Ms. Devasia strives to inspire the same passion she holds for the law amongst new generations by often lecturing about the legal profession and topics in New York City schools and serving as an Adjunct Professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law which is where she received her Juris Doctorate. While at Cardozo, Ms. Devasia served as Editor-in Chief of the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution and Assistant Editor of the Cardozo Studies in Law and Literature. Unique experiences such as being part of Cardozo’ nationally ranked Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution and a legal intern for the Honorable Whitman K. Knapp of the Southern District of New York shaped her legal skills and acumen. As an Adjunct Professor, Ms. Devasia teaches doctrinal law as well as legal writing, research, and lawyering skills.
Areas of Experience
  • Labor and Employment Law
  • Education
Education
  • J.D. Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, 2002
  • B.A. State University of New York at Albany, 1999
Memberships
  • New York State Bar Association
Bar Admissions
  • New York
  • New Jersey
(917) 551-1333
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Meet Liam L. Castro

Attorney at Law
Liam L. Castro is a son of a New York city union member. Growing up, he spent endless hours with his father in the “shop” watching him work his craft, but also watching union delegates helping fellow employees. Those delegates were ever present and seemingly helpful, and this made an impression on Liam. It should be no surprise that upbringing led to Liam’s goal to further the union and blue-collar cause. After completing college, and before applying to law school, Liam joined the union-side law firm of Koehler & Isaacs, LLP as a law clerk in the labor and employment group. While employed full-time, he shortly thereafter was accepted to and attended St. John’s University School of Law during the evening, while working full-time. During that time as a law clerk, he worked with union attorneys in all facets of their cases, including preparing memoranda of law, discovery demands, improper practice charges, and the like. He received his J.D. in 2003.
After admission to the bar, Liam became an associate in the firm’s labor and employment group. During that time, he had and continues to specialize in the areas of civil service law, employment law, public and private sector labor law, and employee benefits. Liam went from law clerk, to associate, and now to a partner in the re-named firm, Isaacs Devasia Castro & Wien, LLP. For over two decades, Liam has been counsel to public and private sector labor unions, ERISA benefit plans, and counseled individual union members in many areas of law related to their employment, and beyond. He has represented labor unions and their members before the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, New York State and Federal Courts, before labor arbitrators, and in collective bargaining. Likewise, Liam has extensive appellate advocacy experience arguing dozens of cases before the Appellate Divisions in three of the four divisions in New York, and twice argued before the highest Court in New York – the New York State Court of Appeals – where he was successful each time he appeared before that particularly distinguished Court. His cases have been discussed in the media, including the front pages of the Chief News Leader, the New York Law Journal, Reuters, and The New York Times, to name a few. Liam also has extensive experience in labor arbitrations. He has conducted many hundreds of disciplinary and contract arbitrations during which he advocated for both his labor union and individual union member clients. Mr. Castro also has extensive and particular experience representing law enforcement officers injured in the line of duty. Specifically, he has conducted hundreds of arbitrations advocating for a law enforcement officer’s right to begin to receive or continue to receive line of duty benefits. Below, Liam has included for you about three dozen publicly available and published decisions of successful cases before administrative agencies, the Supreme Court, Appellate Courts, the Court of Appeals – NY’s highest court, and other venues.
Areas of Experience
Bar Admissions
  • Labor Law
  • Civil Service Law
  • Employment Law
  • New York
  • United States District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Education
Memberships
  • J.D., St. John’s University School of Law, 2003
  • B.S., cum laude, St. John’s University, 1998 (Golden Key National Honor Society, St. Vincent’s College Honor Society, Criminal Justice National Honor Society.)
  • New York State Bar Association
Highlighted Cases / State Court and Administrative Decisions
  • County of Rockland (Appellate Division, 3d Dep’t, March 2024) (PERB and later the Appellate Division held Rockland County improperly discontinued pharmacy co-pay benefit, ordered it reinstated, and that damages be paid to members);
  • Sino v. Suffolk County Park’s Department, Index No. 601412/2023 (NY Sup. Ct., Suffolk Cnty , January 2024) (filed a proceeding challenging a probationary employee’s termination. The Court denied the County’s motion to dismiss the Article 78, which alleged the County’s decision to terminate a probationary employee was arbitrary and capricious, and ordered the County to submit an Answer explaining the basis of their decision);
  • In Re. the Nassau County PD Disqualification of Matthew Finder, Nassau County Police Officer Examination No. 2018PO (Nassau County Civil Service Commission, August 2023) (after our appeal, the Nassau County Civil Service Commission reversed the Nassau County Police Department’s disqualification of an applicant);
  • West Islip Union Free School District, U-37235 (ALJ, April 2023) (PERB held school district unilaterally changed the starting pay for newly hired employees);
  • NCSCOBA v. County of Nassau, Index No. 604628/2023 (NY Sup. Ct., Nassau Cnty, March 2023) (Court granted emergency order prohibiting the County from reducing the officer-to-inmate ratio to less than two-to-one in a local hospital);
  • Ulster County Sheriff’s Employe Association and County of Ulster, PERB Case No. U-35818 (ALJ, October 2022) (Public Employment Relations Board held the County illegally changed supervisors’ shifts. The agency rejected the County’s argument that the change in shifts added one extra employee for manpower coverage, and therefore was staffing. The agency ordered all affected employees compensated for any losses).
  • McMaster v. Town of Islip; index no. 604600/2022 (NY Sup. Ct., Suffolk Cnty, August 2022) (Court held the Town’s decision to terminate the employee was excessive, and ordered the Town to reinstate the employee);
  • UFADBA, 15 OCB2d 26 (BCB 2022) (August 2022) (in the damages phase of the proceeding, the Board ordered the FDNY to make whole the three most senior Chief Dispatchers, past, present and future, for any financial loss, mileage and tolls inclusive, resulting from its unilateral rescission of the use of City-owned vehicles for commuting);
  • Mount Vernon PBA, et al. v. Mount Vernon Police Department, et al.; index no. 66075/2020 (NY Sup. Ct., Westchester Cnty; June 8, 2022) (Court ordered the City of Mount Vernon to pay military differential to two police officers while on military leave);
  • In Re. The Notices of Claim of 86 Nassau County Correction Officers (filed notices of claim for 86 Nassau County correction officers because the County improperly withheld FICA taxes from their pay. Settled the claim for 100% of what they were owed, totaling about $250,000);
  • UCSEA v. Ulster County, Index No. EF-572/2022 (NY Sup. Ct., Ulster County; March 22, 2022) (Court granted emergency order compelling the County to grant paid union release time to several union officials, pending the outcome of a contract grievance. In July 2022 the arbitrator granted the union’s grievance holding the county acted improperly);
  • NCSCOBA v. County of Nassau, Index No. 603571/2020 (NY Sup. Ct., Nassau Cnty, August 2020) (at arbitration, an arbitrator determined the County violated the collective bargaining agreement when it denied line of duty benefits to officers who did not take time off from work. The County sought to vacate that arbitration award in Court. The Court denied the County’s application and granted the union’s application to confirm the award. It held the arbitrator was within his authority, his decision was rational, and reasonable construction of the CBA and 207-c);
  • UFADBA, 13 OCB2d 15 (August 2020) (the City of New York discontinued allowing certain employees to use a City-owned vehicle for commuting to and from work. We argued, and the Board found that authorizing the use of agency vehicles for the purpose of commuting is an economic benefit and that the failure to bargain with the Union over the rescission of the vehicles was an improper practice. The Board ordered [1] the return of the vehicles, and [2] pay those employees’ their economic loss);
  • COBA v. City of New York, index no. 701499/2020, Queens Supreme Court (in April 2020, along with Steve Isaacs and Howard Wien, we sued the city for failing to provide N95 masks to correction officers and to implement sanitary procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court issued an injunction requiring this relief immediately);
  • COBA, 13 OCB2d 4 (BCB 2020) (the union challenged the City’s decision to house high classification inmates [more dangerous] with lower classification inmates. The City challenged the arbitrability of that grievance, and argued the housing of inmates was a managerial prerogative, arbitration would violate public policy, and this issue is not subject to arbitration. The Office of Collective Bargaining denied their arguments, and ordered arbitration. They held that whatever managerial prerogative they had, once the DOC adopted a written policy concerning a managerial prerogative, that subject becomes arbitrable.);
  • Dinkins v. Brann, Index No. 155550/2019 (NY Supreme Court) (in June 2019 we filed an Article 78 challenging a City correction officer’s termination. In December 2019 we negotiated with the City the officer’s reinstatement to her position with full backpay and accruals, the total value of which was about $100,000.
  • COBA, 12 OCB2d 31 (BCB September 2019) (union filed a grievance alleging the city failed to credit an employee with compensatory time after he resolved a disciplinary matter pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement. The city argued the grievance was not arbitrable. OCB found that the union brought an arbitrable grievance, and ordered the city to arbitration);
  • Gualtieri v. Suffolk County Civil Service Department, index number 4769/19 (Suffolk County Supreme Court, September 2019) (challenged the Suffolk County Civil Service Department’s decision to disqualify an applicant. Pending the outcome of that challenge, we showed to the judge a sufficiently compelling case such that the judge enjoined the Department from expiring the civil service list on which the applicant was);
  • COBA v. City of New York, Index No. 24054/16E (Franco, JSC, July 8, 2019) (in a first-of-a-kind case in New York, our client alleged the Department of Correction failed to properly train and equip officers when they supervised the most dangerous inmates, and in doing so endangered officers and their right to a safe workplace. The city sought to dismiss the case. The Court denied the City’s motion to dismiss, and held that the correction union stated a cause of action against the City);
  • Febles v. NYC, Index No. 160459/2018 (in June 2019 Court denied the City’s motion to dismiss the Article 78, which alleged the City’s decision to terminate a probationary employee was arbitrary and capricious, and ordered the City to submit an Answer explaining the basis of their termination);
  • UFADBA v. City of New York, 12 OCB2d 6 (BCB 2019) (finding the City violated the Collective Bargaining Law when it unilaterally compelled employees who volunteered for overtime, and subsequently rescinded that decision, to either work the shift or find a replacement).
  • Louis v. DOC, 159398/2018 (terminated probationary employee was reinstated with backpay, full leave accruals, seniority and other contractual benefits);
  • County of Nassau v. NCSCOBA, Index Nos. 604338/2018 and 603206/2018 (County sued the union to invalidate a contract worth over $1 million, and sought to permanently stay arbitration. The Court dismissed the action against the union, and held the agreement was valid);
  • Nassau County v. Nassau County Sheriff’s Correction Officers Benevolent Association, Index No. 001243/18 (Court denied the County’s request for a permanent stay of arbitration, and dismissed the County’s Petition).
  • Castro v. Schriro, 29 N.Y.3d 1005 (2017) (In reversing the supreme court’s dismissal of the Petition, the Appellate Division and later the Court of Appeals held the Petition stated a claim for improper termination of a probationary employee, and remanded the proceeding back to the lower court);
  • Uniformed Fire Alarm Dispatchers Benevolent Association v. City of New York, Index No. 656928/17 (pending arbitration of a contract grievance, the city enjoined from altering the comp time leave provisions of their policy);
  • NCSCOBA v. County of Nassau, Index 000220/2017 (pending arbitration, by order to show cause, the Court ordered the County not to reduce the vacation selection process);
  • COBA, 8 OCB2d 30 (BCB 2015) (OCB denied the City’s challenge to, and ordered it to arbitrate the Union’s grievance which alleged the City improperly paid a union member. The result was a settlement of over $110,000 for the member, restoration of her seniority and other benefits);
  • County of Nassau, 48 PERB 3023 (2015) (holding that supervisor discriminated against union members for union activity);
  • Town of Islip v. PERB, and UPSEU, 23 N.Y.3d 482 (2014) (Court of Appeals held the public employer unilaterally and illegally took employees’ take home vehicles);
  • NCSCOBA v. County of Nassau, et al., Index No.: 6478/14 (pending arbitration of a contract grievance, the County was enjoined from terminating a second retired employee’s medical benefits);
  • RK v. Darby, index no. 158177/2014 (NY County Supreme Court, December 2016) (represented a law firm partner as plaintiff in a contract dispute. After discovery, we moved for summary judgment and opposed the defendant’s motion. The court found that the defendant violated the contract and ordered an inquest on damages. The matter settled for 100% of the damages);
  • Matter of Jaronczyk v. Mangano, Index No. 2819/12 2012 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 6683, 2012 NY Slip Op 33728(U) (Sher, A.J.S.C., June 27, 2012), aff’d 121 A.D.3d 995 (2d Dep’t., 2014) (ordered the County to, under FOIL, disclose overtime slips, and also ordered attorney’s fees);
  • NCSCOBA v. County of Nassau, Index Nos. 7449/12, 5839/12, 6909/12 (in three separate proceedings brought by the Union, the County was compelled to arbitrate contract grievances);
  • Matter of Sheriff Officers Assoc., Inc. v. Nassau County, 2012 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2913 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. June 8, 2012; Murphy, J.S.C.) (pending arbitration of a contract grievance, the County was enjoined from terminating a retired employee’s medical benefits);
  • Singer v. Van Blarcum, Index No. 2469/11 (while the officer engaged in misconduct, the Court found the County’s decision to terminate a tenured CO was improper);
  • Sheriff Officers Association, Inc. v. County of Nassau; Sup. Ct. Index No. 13113/10; App. Div. Index No. 2010-06717 (county was ordered, by order to show cause, to arbitrate a disciplinary matter. Thereafter, and before arbitration, the employer sought grand jury material. The court held that although an individual who brings an action can waive their right to keep grand jury material sealed, the member did not do so when compelling disciplinary arbitration);
  • COBA, 2 OCB2d 7 (BCB 2009) (holding that supervisor discriminated against union member for union activity);
  • Quick v Horn, 21 Misc.3d 1116(A) (2008 Sup. Ct. NY Cnty) (NYC DOC improperly terminated probationary employee).
Articles & Publications
New York Law Journal:
  • In the Matter of the Application of Sheriff Officers Association, Inc., Ex Rel. Paula Jackson, Petitioner v. County of Nassau, Respondent, 13113/10
  • Matter of Castro v. Schriro, 101472/13
  • Panel Revives Guard’s Challenge to His Termination
  • TOWN OF ISLIP, pet, v. NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS BOARD
  • In the Matter of the Application of Sheriff Officers Association, Inc. Ex Rel. Paula Jackson, Petitioner, for an Order and Judgment pursuant to NY CPLR Article 75 v. County of Nassau, Respondent, 13113/10
  • Nassau Jail Officers Owed Back Pay, Judge Rules
  • Judge Keeps Civilian Supervisors of Inmate Kitchen Workers
The New York Times:
  • New York City Ordered to Better Protect Rikers Jail Officers
  • Complaint by Fired Correction Officer Adds Details About a Death at Rikers Island
The Chief News Leader:
  • COBA Suit Seeking Safer Workplace Can Proceed
  • COBA Rep Wants More Protection For COs
  • Appeals Court Rules CO Firing Seems ‘Bad Faith’
  • THE CHIEF – HA Caretaker Cleared of Assault Charges Presses for Denied Benefits
  • THE CHIEF LEADER – Rule Nassau Can’t Set Time Limit On COs Trading Shifts
Reuters:
  • REUTERS – N.Y. town lacked power to take employees’ commuter cars: court
Firm News:
  • Koehler & Isaacs Wins Significant Legal Victory for NYC Correction Officers
National Public Radio:
  • Correction Officers Union Sues New York City Over Lack Of Coronavirus Protection
(917) 551-1331
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Meet Howard G. Wien

Attorney at Law
Mr. Wien represents unions, their members and their affiliated fringe benefit funds. He has represented unions in major collective bargaining in the construction, transportation and law enforcement industries and has been labor’s advocate at the National Labor Relations Board, the National Mediation Board, the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, the New York City Board of Collective Bargaining, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the New York State Division of Human Rights and in numerous employee disciplinary hearings and contract interpretation grievance arbitration. Mr. Wien has also represented employee benefit funds as general counsel and in Department of Labor investigations, in Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation funding of insolvent plans and plan terminations as well as serving as collection counsel in recouping unpaid employer contributions.
Mr. Wien has long assisted individual employees in the formation of labor unions. During 2018 and 2019 one such labor union successfully organized nearly a thousand transit middle managers in spite of state law stating making “managers” ineligible for union representation. Mr. Wien has litigated on behalf of unions and benefit funds in both state and federal courts for many years. Significant successful published litigation includes:
  • Local 352, National Association of Transportation Supervisors and AECOM 2019 WL 7584388 (2019) which successfully challenged the employer’s claim that petitioned for employees were “supervisors” as defined by the National Labor Relations Act. The National Labor Relations Board found the employees eligible for unionization and the union won the subsequent NLRB supervised election.
  • District Council No. 9 v. APC Painting Company, 272 F.Supp.2d 229 (SDNY 2003) which expanded and clarified the extent to which owners of a corporation may be personally liable for amounts due as wages and benefit contributions found owing in arbitration awards. This case also expanded and clarified the liability of related companies under such awards.
  • Local 530 v. District Council No. 9, 1999 WL 1006226 (SDNY) upholding the validity of an arbitration award resolving a construction industry jurisdictional dispute.
  • Local Union 20, 2000 WL 22664297 (NLRB Div. of Judges) which overturned an NLRB regional director’s determination and held that a union has the right to charge advanced dues even where a collective bargaining agreement contains a union security clause and the employee was not employed at the time the dues were required to be paid.
Mr. Wien additionally has represented unions in the context of internal disputes among union board members and between unions and their own members. Although it is unfortunate that such disputes occur, an essential role of union counsel is to assist unions to comply with laws governing their internal operations such as the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, state laws governing the fiduciary obligation of labor unions, the duty of fair representation and applicable anti-discrimination statutes. It is also an essential role of union counsel to defend against allegations of noncompliance. Significant successful published decisions in the area include: S.A. v. M.C., 159 A.D.3d 408 (1st Dep’t 2018) upholding union board’s removal of a board member for misconduct, dismissing claims of defamation and breach of union constitution and establishing the principal that internal union disciplinary charges and trial committee decisions are absolutely immune from liability. Notably, the trial court also held that union trial committee members are also absolutely immune from liability. W.V. v. COBA, 51 Misc.3d 1227(A)(NY Sup. Ct. NY County, 2016), upholding union board determination that sitting board member was not eligible to seek presidency as he failed to meet qualifications and prerequisites stated in the union’s constitution and failed to exhaust arbitration prior to seeking judicial relief. The same plaintiff also sued to challenge his removal from the board and that suit was also dismissed. Index No. 102206/2015 (NY Sup. Ct. NY County, 2016) C.L v. N.S. 2010 WL 3034246 (SDNY 2010) dismissing First Amendment claims by union board member who resigned from union executive board following allegations of misconduct with court finding that board member’s complaint was not a matter of public concern nor that the union was a state actor both of which needed to exist so as to subject the union to First Amendment regulation. The same plaintiff later sued the union for malicious prosecution based on the misconduct allegation, which was also dismissed. 2014 WL 2085269 (SDNY 2014) Mr. Wien is a former Commissioner of the Yonkers, New York Commission on Human Rights. He is also a trained mediator and experienced arbitrator.
Areas of Experience
Associations
  • Labor and Employment
  • Employee Benefit Plans
  • Civil Litigation
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Administrative
  • Civil Rights
  • Board Member, Workers Defense League
  • Member, New York State Employment Relations Act Roster of Arbitrators
Education
Bar Admissions
  • J.D. Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, 1994
  • B.A. State University of New York, University Center at Binghamton, 1989
  • United States Supreme Court
  • New York State
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • United States District Courts for the Eastern, Southern and Northern Districts of New York
Memberships
  • New York County Lawyers Association
  • AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee
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Phone: (212) 504-2904Email: lawenforcement@leeba.info Service Area: New York City
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