Richard A. Curreri, Esq.

Responsible for the administration and implementation of Taylor Law dispute resolution procedures, including mediation, fact-finding and interest arbitration, applicable to the 4,000 collective bargaining units which exist at the State, local government and school district levels in New York. Administered a Voluntary Grievance Arbitration procedure that processed in excess of 1,000 requests annually, along with a Staff Grievance Med-Arb Program, and a variety of labor-management cooperative programs, including Labor-Management Committees, Interest Based Bargaining and Facilitated Intensive Negotiations. Personally mediated highest profile State, municipal, school district and public authority contract disputes throughout New York. Most notable and publicized of these efforts was role as head of the mediation team that intervened during the December, 2005 strike by 36,000 New York City transit workers; the team?s work was widely credited for quickly getting employees back on the job and settling a seemingly intractable dispute that was costing the City an estimated three hundred million dollars per day. Instrumental in settling strikes in a number of other major jurisdictions, including the Buffalo teachers in 1999 and Yonkers teachers in 2000. Defended and enforced PERB decisions and orders upon judicial review. Briefed and argued cases involving a broad range of labor law issues before all appellate level courts in the State, including the Court of Appeals. Served as administrative law judge, conducting hearings and writing decisions in improper practice cases.