Project Description
PA Labor Lawyers
PA labor attorneys interact with employers, employees, and unions for dispute mediation and negotiations. The particular focus of labor law are employment areas with labor unions, such as teachers, steelworkers, and bus drivers.
If you are a union member or a company with union workers, do not hesitate to contact us about the labor law.
Why Hire PA Labor Attorneys?
During difficult disputes, sometimes outside perspective from an objective PA labor lawyer can aid those in the midst of the disagreement. Whether a negotiation, mediation, or lawsuit, a PA labor attorney can powerfully assist your situation with legal counsel and communication skills.
For The Employer: Consult A PA Labor Lawyer
Due to over a hundred laws set by federal, state, and local governments guiding business practices, it is wise for businesses to hire a PA labor attorney for their expert advice in these laws. As a smart company leader, you know the value in complying with the law and staying proactive in your business practices. PA labor attorneys will help you protect your business.
You should definitely consult a PA labor attorney for any of the following areas.
- Strike talk
- Union worker being fired
- Lawsuit threat
- unlawful overtime
- discrimination
- wrongful termination
- mistreatment
- harmful work conditions
For The Employee: Consult A PA Labor Lawyer
Years spent studying employment and labor laws prepares PA labor attorneys for offering intelligent and specific advice for your employment situation. He or she recognizes whether your circumstances are unlawful or not and will know what your next steps should be. Moreover, a PA labor lawyer leverages the law on behalf of your case.
You should immediately consult a PA labor attorney for any of the following situations.
- Retaliation complaint
- Negotiating strike terms
- Planning to file a lawsuit
- Wrongful termination
Labor Law
The increase of factory jobs during the Industrial Revolution created a shift in the previously small employer industry. The prevalence of cheap labor coupled with long hours forced employees to rage for protection of their rights. As the reality of factory work became common knowledge, the government moved to create labor laws to provide and protect American workers.
Individual Labor Law
Individual labor law focuses on the individual rights of an employee in the workplace. Therefore, it’s important to understand the difference between “at-will” and contractual employment. For the most part, “at-will” means that the employer or employee may end the employment at any time while contracts bind the employer and employee to a certain amount of time or work completed. Contracts or evidence of wrongful termination are exceptions to “at-will” employment.
Individual labor law protects employees through a number of laws and acts.
Minimum Wage And Hours
In 1938, the United States rocked the employment practices of the time by writing a law that regulated the minimum wage. Over the years, minimum wage has risen with the inflation of prices and living expenses. England standardized the 8-hour day.
Today, the rights of American workers are protected by the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor. They enforce the regulations on federal minimum wage, recordkeeping, overtime pay, and child labor.
Health And Safety
The U.S. Department of Labor with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates workplace safety and health. While organized to protect workers’ rights, OSHA also educates employers creating healthy and safe workplace environments. PA Labor attorneys are tasked with helping to uphold OSHA’s scope, whether aiding a whistleblower or advising a business on safety and health by the law.
Discrimination
Employment discrimination is a complicated and complex problem that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) handles. The EEOC provides specific steps to take if you have experienced discrimination. If you have filed a complaint with EEOC or wonder what the EEOC does, contact us.
Child Labor Laws
The U.S. Department of Labor created the Fair Labor Standards Acts (FLSA) to protect the rights of minors in the United States. FLSA requires that work should not conflict with a minor’s educational opportunities. Moreover, FLSA prohibits underage workers from certain types of dangerous lines of work.
The Pennsylvania Child Labor Law (CLL) further provides for the rights of minors within this state. Minors must obtain work permits. The law specifies in clear language what a minor may and may not do for employment. If you have any questions about the PA CLL, please contact us.
Collective Labor Law
Collective labor law regulates the relationship between employees, employers, and labor unions so no advantage is taken by another group. Union members benefit from a support network who promote the rights of their members in their workplaces. PA labor attorneys work to smooth the negotiation process between groups and help to settle disputes favorably.
Trade Unions
Specific labor laws guide the workings of labor unions. One function of unions is the ability to use collective bargaining between an employer and employee to protect the rights of a union member. Labor laws provide that employers may not dissuade employees from becoming union members, and unions should never prohibit their members from pursuing their rights under the labor laws.
Collective Bargaining
Trade union representatives approach the employers on the behalf of their employed union members to negotiate compensation and worker benefits. Once a collective agreement has been settled upon, this agreement acts as a contract between the employees and employer. These agreements are often called a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) or a collective employment agreement (CEA).
Strikes
Despite negotiations between employers and employees, sometimes no agreement is reached. Occasionally, employees choose to go on strike. If a strike violates a labor law, it is not legal. However, economic strikes and Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strikes are legal and provided for by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
If you are a PA union member and have experienced a violation of the labor law, contact a PA labor lawyer who will know how to navigate your case under the law.
Don’t hesitate, talk to a PA labor attorney: (412) 626-5626 or lawyer@lawkm.com
Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC “KM&A” is a law firm serving all of Pennsylvania with our principal offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Call KM&A in western Pennsylvania at 412-626-5626 or in eastern Pennsylvania at 215-618-9185. KM&A can be reached by email at lawyer@lawkm.com.
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