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