Outten & Golden, a 65-lawyer U.S.-based law firm that represents plaintiffs in labor and employment litigation, said it has voluntarily recognized a union formed by its associate attorneys.
The union, Outten & Golden United, was a “logical next step” given the firm’s work representing workers and unions, including the Communications Workers of America, managing partner Adam Klein said Thursday.
“We’re very much supportive of the union movement,” Klein said. “We’re aligned with their interests.” He said the firm’s new union is not a member of any existing U.S. union organisation.
Outten & Golden United includes all 24 of the firm’s associate lawyers. It said in a statement that it believes that labor unions are “uniquely situated to promote workplace democracy, equity, and transparency throughout the legal profession and beyond.”
The union said it looks forward “to a historic and productive bargaining relationship with the firm.” It declined to comment further.
Associates are salaried employees at most U.S. law firms, unlike partners who are typically part-owners with a stake in their firm’s profits.
Klein said the law firm, with offices in New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., learned about the union’s existence on Friday.
The next step is to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, Klein said. He said he did not know what sticking points could arise in such a negotiation, or how quickly talks might finish.
“Candidly, this is all new to me as well,” Klein said.
Klein said he did not think much will change in the firm’s daily operations. Before the union formed, the firm had an associate committee that provided input on the firm’s operations.
Source: Reuters
