Javier Ramirez brings over 30 years of experience in labor relations, mediation, and dispute resolution at the highest levels of government and the private sector. As Executive Manager of the National Conflict Resolution Service (NCRS), he leads national initiatives to deliver mediation, conflict resolution, and labor-management training across sectors.
Prior to the establishment of the NCRS, Javier served as Deputy Director of Field Operations at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), where he guided nationwide strategy, staff development, and pioneered innovative approaches to collective bargaining — most notably the Affinity Bargaining model, now widely used across industries and internationally.
Javier is an Honorary Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and his work and thought leadership have been featured in Rolling Stone, Chicago Tribune Magazine, Chicago Lawyer Magazine, and cited in the New York Times Best Seller Fast Food Nation.
In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Javier Ramirez to discuss the future of labor mediation after President Trump shut down the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). Ramirez takes you inside the negotiating room and explains the critical role labor mediators play.
