IBEW (District 6) Arbitration Institute

IBEW (District 6) Arbitration Institute

Conference | Registration opens 9/11/2026 12:00 AM CDT

1900 S 1st St Champaign, IL 61820 United States
Lincoln
11/30/2026-12/4/2026
8:00 AM-7:00 PM CDT on Mon Tue Wed Th Fri
Download iCalendar
$1,700.00
11/17/2026

IBEW (District 6) Arbitration Institute

Conference | Registration opens 9/11/2026 12:00 AM CDT

-PENDING-
IBEW Sixth District Arbitration Institute

Preparing and Presenting Arbitration Cases

November 30 - December 4, 2026
iHotel & Conference Center
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Labor Education Program
Primary Instructor - Prof. Michael H. LeRoy

Registration begins at 2:30pm Monday, November 30th and the conference ends by 1pm on Friday, December 4th.

WHO MAY ATTEND? IBEW 6th District local union officers, business representatives, chief stewards, newcomers, and individuals who have attended previous programs. Enrollment is limited, so make plans now.

Our program is designed to benefit officers and representatives at all levels—newcomers and experienced leaders. The mock cases cover (1) discipline, and (2) contract language. Our classes discuss arbitration clauses, just cause discipline, contract interpretation, researching your case, and preparing and presenting evidence at a hearing.

The highlight of the program is the assignment of an actual arbitration case to all participants, who prepare and present their cases before an actual arbitrator on the last day of the conference. 

YOU WILL BE INSTRUCTED IN:

  • Overview of the Grievance Process
  • Evaluating and Presenting Evidence
  • Understanding Contract Interpretation
  • Closing Arguments/Briefs
  • How to Conduct Direct and Cross Exam
  • Hands-on Use of Computers to Prepare Cases
  • How to Evaluate Evidence

 

This year’s class will feature two cases:

Discipline: A bus driver was driving normally in the far-right lane of a four-lane highway when a car, driving in the opposite direction, swerved out of control and hit the bus head-on. Video evidence clearly shows that the bus driver was not at fault and could not avoid the accident. The employer, who has a mandatory drug testing procedure for any driver who is in an accident, required a drug test for the driver. The results showed that she had marijuana in her system. She was discharged for violating the employer’s drug use policy. Under the collective bargaining agreement, was there just cause to terminate her employment?

Contract Interpretation: A sheriff department started to pay deputies overtime for a sixth consecutive day of work, and double overtime for a seventh and eighth day of work, in 1997. Contract language in 2001 defined a workweek as seven days starting on Sunday, which sometimes split accrual of time in a way that would restart a deputy’s overtime clock on Sunday during a sixth, seventh, or eighth consecutive workday (e.g., when a deputy started a work week on a Tuesday). No one on the employer and union side noticed the change until 2024, when a new HR administrator read the language and stopped paying 6th, 7th, and 8th day overtime. The union filed a grievance; the sheriff paused the system, and the matter went to arbitration. Would overtime pay be governed by clear contract language without any intent to change overtime pay; would overtime pay be determined by practice and custom; or would other contract language determine the outcome?    


  • Double Occupancy fee $1,700
    Single Occupancy fee $1,900
    After adding the registration fee you'll be able to select single occupancy at the next step. If you check out and pay for a double occupancy please let us know who your roommate will be by emailing illinoislabored@illinois.edu
LeRoy, Michael
Michael LeRoy

"I use two basic methods. In courses such as Collective Bargaining in Sports and Entertainment, student interaction and experiential learning are heavily emphasized. Here I use “the guide on the side,” leading students through a series of structured discussions and mock arbitration cases. In Government Regulation (employment law), where an expert body of knowledge must be conveyed, I like the “sage from the stage” approach. Even though this involves a more traditional format, students are assigned original case and statutory materials to sharpen their analytical skills."

Emmert, Kay
Kay Emmert

Prof. Emmert is a Lecturer in the Labor Education Program, where she teaches labor law, grievance processing, arbitration, collective bargaining, communication and leadership skills to union members, unrepresented workers, and university undergraduates. As Lead Negotiator and bargaining advisor for the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition at UIUC, she successfully negotiated multiple contracts, securing significant gains in wages, job security, and benefits. An expert in contract research, writing, and enforcement, she develops engaging, real-world curricula that empower workers with the knowledge and skills to advocate for fair labor practices and workplace protections.

 

Fortado, Stephanie
Stephanie Fortado

Prof. Fortado is a social and cultural historian of the modern United States, with a focus on African American working class and social movement history. She is especially interested in Civil Rights and Black Power history, and in labor history, especially as it relates to women’s history, environmental history and urban history. She is co-director of the Regina V. Polk Women's Leadership Programs.