News

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT, SCOTT DIMAURO

Dear Colleagues,

I am honored to serve as the chapter president for the Central Ohio Labor Employment Relations Association (COLERA) for 2020-2021.  I have been an active member of COLERA over the past seven years, throughout my tenure as an officer of the Ohio Education Association (OEA). Now serving in my second year as OEA President, I appreciate now more than ever how valuable it is to be connected to a strong organization like COLERA that provides professionals from all perspectives—labor, management and neutral—an opportunity to build relationships, learn about current issues, and hone their skills.

Please mark your calendars for the 2020-2021 COLERA speaker series. Meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month from September through May: September 15, October 20, November 17, December 15, January 19, February 16, March 16, April 20, and May 18.  Meetings are ordinarily held in conjunction with luncheons at The Boat House Restaurant, 679 W Spring St, Columbus, OH 43215 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm.  For the foreseeable future, however, our speaker series will be presented virtually (at no cost to members) at the scheduled day and time each month.  Participation in our speaker series gives you an opportunity to network others while gaining new insights on important workplace issues.

Our Board members for this year are:

2019-2020 COLERA Board
PRESIDENT: Scott DiMauro
VICE PRESIDENT: Meeta Bass
SECRETARY TREASURER: Don Collins

LABOR MEMBERS   MANAGEMENT MEMBERS   NEUTRAL MEMBERS
Bret Benack               Catherine Burgett                 Felicia Bernardini
Gwen Callender        Eric Eilerman                          Robert Fekete
Mike Duco                 Christina Haselberger          Gary Kloepfer
Bob Sauter                 Kate Nicholson                      Joe Trejo

Over the past couple of years, sessions featured a wide variety of experts on workplace issues ranging from trends in labor and employment law to addressing challenges related to the opioid crisis, sexual harassment in the workplace, implications of Ohio’s new medical marijuana law, the threat of active shooters in the workplace, the impact of the Janus decision on organized labor, and workplace implications of federal law passed in response to the COVID-19 crisis.  The COLERA Board works hard on an ongoing basis to ensure that all of our sessions are engaging and presented from a balanced perspective.

In addition to having access to COLERA’s speaker series, your membership will also provide you with a link to an array of valuable online programming offered by our national organization.  The Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) is the singular organization in the country where professionals interested in all aspects of labor and employment relations network to share ideas and learn about new developments, issues, and practices in the field. Founded in 1947 as the Industrial Relations Research Association (IRRA), the National LERA provides a unique forum where the views of representatives of labor, management, government and academics, advocates and neutrals are welcome.

Throughout my career as an educator and union leader, I have always leaned heavily on the support of experienced colleagues for their expertise and advice.  My membership in COLERA has given me a unique opportunity to connect with other labor advocates as well as professionals who represent management interests and those in roles such as mediators and arbitrators to better understand our common interests and the values that bind all of us together.  I hope you will consider becoming a member of COLERA and participating in our programs.

I hope to see you at our meetings—in-person or virtually—this year!

Scott DiMauro

March 2020 COLERA Luncheon is Cancelled

“Supreme Court – Recent Decisions & Labor Law Updates” on state/federal issues, labor law issues and employment matters as they pertain to the public sector.

Dear COLERA Members, Partners and Colleagues,

COLERA has been closely monitoring updates and recommendations from the Governor and thought it is a prudent decision to cancel the March Luncheon which was to take place on March 17, 2020, due to concerns for the safety of all involved – related to the recent COVID-19 outbreak.

During this time and in the words of Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky:

“Every hand that we do not shake must become a phone call that we place. Every embrace that we avoid must become a verbal expression of warmth and concern. Every inch and every foot that we physically place between ourselves and another must become thought as to how we might be of help to that others should the need arise.”

We encourage you to continue to practicing safety measures as we all wrestle with this heightened crisis while lifting our country and world in constant prayer.

Dear Colleagues,

I am honored to serve as the chapter president for the Central Ohio Labor Employment Relations Association (COLERA) for 2019-2020.  I have been an active member of COLERA over the past six years, throughout my tenure as vice president of the Ohio Education Association (OEA). Having recently been elected to serve as OEA President, I appreciate now more than ever how valuable it is to be connected to a strong organization like COLERA that provides professionals from all perspectives—labor, management and neutral—an opportunity to build relationships, learn about current issues, and hone their skills.

Please mark your calendars for the 2019-2020 COLERA luncheon meeting and speaker series. Meetings are the third Tuesday of the month from September through May at The Boat House, 679 W Spring St, Columbus, OH 43215 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm:  September 17, October 15, November 19, December 17, January 21, February 18, March 17, April 21, and May 19.

Our Board members for this year are:

2019-2020 COLERA Board     

PRESIDENT                                                  VICE PRESIDENT
Scott DiMauro                                                Meeta Bass

SECRETARY TREASURER                         PAST PRESIDENT
Colleen Arnett                                                Robert Fekete

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT
Mike D’Arcy

LABOR MEMBERS:         MANAGEMENT MEMBERS             NEUTRAL MEMBERS:

Bret Benack                            Catherine Burgett                           Felicia Bernardini
Gwen Callender                     Chris Haselberger                           Donald Collins
Mike Duco                              Kate Nicholson                                Gary Kloepfer
Bob Sauter                             Matt Telfer                                        Joe Trejo

This past year, sessions featured a wide variety of experts on workplace issues ranging from trends in labor and employment law to addressing challenges related to the opioid crisis, sexual harassment in the workplace, implications of Ohio’s new medical marijuana law, and the impact of the Janus decision on organized labor.  The COLERA Board has worked hard over the summer to ensure that our upcoming sessions are engaging and presented from a balanced perspective.

The guest speaker for COLERA’s first lunch meeting on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, is Chris Moffitt. Chris is a career law enforcement officer and dedicated trainer. He started in police work as an  Auxiliary Police Officer in 1990 with the Hubbard Ohio Police Department. He moved through the ranks and is currently a Patrol Sergeant. Besides his supervisory duties, Chris is the department’s OPOTA certified Firearms Instructor (Semi-Auto, Revolver, Shotgun, Carbine Rifle), a certified Field Training Officer (FTO) , NRA “Refuse to be a Victim” Instructor, a Glock Armorer, and an A.L.I.C.E. instructor. This presentation is designed to not only provide the mental and physical tools that can assist employers with better planning for employees surviving life-threatening and violent situations. It will also address key elements any employer’s policy or training must include to provide for the best outcomes.

Throughout my career as an educator and union leader, I have always leaned heavily on the support of experienced colleagues for their expertise and advice.  My membership in COLERA has given me a unique opportunity to connect with other labor advocates as well as professionals who represent management interests and those in roles such as mediators and arbitrators to better understand our common interests and the values that bind all of us together.  I hope you will consider becoming a member of COLERA and attending these programs.

I hope to see you at the Boathouse this year!

Scott DiMauro

SAVE THE DATES FOR COLERA LUNCHEON SERIES Dear Colleagues, Please mark your calendars for the 2018-2019 COLERA luncheon meeting series. Meetings are the third Tuesday of the month from September through May at The Boat House, 679 W Spring St, Columbus, OH 43215 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm:  September 18, October 16, November 20, December 18, January 15, February 19, March 19, April 16, and May 21. There have been a lot of changes in the labor relations field in just the last year and there is no sign that things will slow down anytime soon. With the upcoming state and federal elections, we are poised to see many more changes on the horizon. Make sure that you stay informed and aren’t left out by joining your fellow labor and employment professionals to hear COLERA’s luncheon speakers, who will be sharing their expertise and advice for navigating this new arena. The guest speaker for COLERA’s first lunch meeting on Tuesday, September 18, 2017, is Donald M. Collins, General Counsel for the Ohio State Employment Relations Board, and Scott DiMauro, Vice-President of the Ohio Education Association. They will be discussing “Janus and Other Changes in Public Sector Collective Bargaining” and sharing their insights and observations. Both of our speakers are keenly positioned to discuss this subject. In addition to his current position at SERB, Mr. Collins has been the First Assistant Prosecutor for Delaware County, City Attorney for Labor and Human Resources for the City of Toledo, Chief of the Employment Law Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant County Prosecutor for Franklin County for Labor and Employment Relations. Mr. DiMauro has been the Vice President of OEA for nine years and, prior to holding that position, has experience as president of his local, a member of his local bargaining team, chairperson of Central’s leadership and professional development programs, and political action coordinator.  He also led the NEA Legislative Committee for three years. Other upcoming speakers include: October 16, 2018 – The speaker is Terry Casey, Chairman of the State Employment Relations Board, and Ohio State University Professor Emeritus, Herb Asher. Director Casey and Professor Asher will be delivering a timely discussion of the upcoming November 2018 elections and discussing how it may directly impact the public sector directly, locally, and nationally. November 20, 2018 -William Eady, Jr., Assistant Director ESSP UAW Ford, will give a presentation on the Opioid crisis.  This is an issue impacting everyone and Mr. Eady will discuss the Campaign of HOPE and what the Ford Motor Company is doing to educate its employees and the local community about Opioids. I hope you will consider becoming a member of COLERA and attending these programs. Robert E. Fekete COLERA, President