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STATE OF NEW JERSEY
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS COMMISSION

RESUME OF PANEL ARBITRATOR
Michael T. Loconto
Burlington, NJ

Arbitrator, Mediator and Fact Finder
GRIEVANCE ARBITRATION EXPERIENCE:
Full-time, neutral arbitrator, mediator and fact finder following two decades in practice as a traditional labor law advocate in municipal government and higher education. AAA, FMCS and NMB member. I teach contracts, bargaining and legal writing and offer training on interest-based bargaining practices. I have apprenticed with NAA members Mark Irvings and David Gaba and am a New England region salon member (2023). My issue experience includes discipline and discharge, drug testing, contract interpretation, pay and wage differentials, benefits, disability, discrimination and harassment, FLSA, FMLA, USERRA, Title IX, social media use, pandemic issues, and project labor agreements. My experience also includes the following public and private sector industries: public safety, trades, maintenance, dining services, construction, clerical and technical, athletics, waste, manufacturing, beverages, education and faculty, among others. I am available for in-person or remote hearings.
MEDIATION AND FACT-FINDING EXPERIENCE:
See above. I have experience as an advocate in med-arb hybrid models, grievance mediation and contract mediation. I have also been engaged as a mediator for fact-finding in a civil service proceeding between a town and the local fire fighter bargaining unit.
INTEREST ARBITRATION EXPERIENCE:
I have experience in Iowa, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Published awards include IAFF Local 610 and City of Iowa City, Iowa Public Empl. Rel. Bd. No. 0323 (interest arb., May 30, 2024); and Teamsters Local 238 and Muscatine Co. (IA), IA PERB No. 1102 (interest arb., Nov. 1, 2024). Available at eab.iowa.gov. I am also a Board of Editors member for the third volume of a book on public sector interest arbitration (Will Aitchison, David Gaba & Jonathan Downes, Interest Arbitration (Miller, Vannoy and Scott 3d ed., LRIS Books, 2022).
EDUCATION:
Northeastern University School of Law – Juris Doctor (2002). Florida State University – Bachelor of Arts (1999).
Relevant Certificates: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Institute – Labor Arbitrator; Federal Sector Arbitration. American Arbitration Association – Labor Arbitration; Commercial Arbitration; Virtual Employment Mediation.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission – Grievance Arbitration Panel.
New Jersey Board of Mediation - Arbitration Panel.
Port Authority of New York/New Jersey - Employment Relations Panel.
AAA Labor, Employment, Consumer and Pension/ERISA Panels.
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service - Roster of Arbitrators.
The Labor Relations Connection – private New England labor panel.
National Mediation Board – rail and airline labor disputes.
Other local and state agency rosters and panels include California (Los Angeles County ERC, PERB and SMCS), Illinois Educational LRB, Iowa PERB, Massachusetts DLR, Michigan ERC, Minnesota BMS, Montana BOPA, Nebraska CIR, Nevada GEMRB, New Hampshire PELRB, Oregon ERB, Pennsylvania LRB, Phoenix (AZ) ERB, U.S. Virgin Islands PERB, and Washington (state) PERC.

Permanent Panels: Commonwealth of Massachusetts-Alliance; APWU and USPS (Connecticut-Expedited); NYSED 3020-a teacher tenure panel; NPMHU and USPS (Regular-MA/RI and VT/NH/ME).

Member, New Jersey LERA Chapter (Current President, Boston chapter and co-chair, Cent’l. PA chapter; concurrent member in national organization and other local chapters). Past Chair, LERA Higher Education Industry Council. Member, Catholic Labor Network. Member, The Labor Guild. Member, SFLERP. Member, ABA LEL Section. Past Co-Chair, Boston Bar Association Traditional Labor Law subcommittee.

Bar Membership: Commonwealth of Massachusetts (admitted, 2002). Concurrent membership with U.S. District Court, Massachusetts (2003) and U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (2003).

Additional background information available at https://locontoadr.com.
OTHER RELEVANT OR EQUIVALENT EXPERIENCE:
Curry College, Milton, MA – General Counsel (previous: College Counsel) (2016-2020); Harvard University Office of Labor & Employee Relations, Cambridge, MA – Deputy Director for Policy & Compliance (previous: Associate Director) (2006-2016); City of Boston, MA – Labor Relations Counsel (2002-2006).

Instructor on arbitration, contracts, first amendment, interest-based bargaining and workplace disputes, The Labor Guild School of Labor-Management Relations, Archdiocese of Boston (2022-present); Adjunct Professor on legal writing, Northeastern University School of Law (2008-2010). Frequent panelist with various labor-management conferences, including LERA and National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in the Higher Education Professions.
PER DIEM FEES:
GRIEVANCE ARBITRATION $$1,900*INTEREST ARBITRATION $$2,200 per day*
CANCELLATION NOTICE AND FEE (if any): Fourteen (14) calendar days or parties are liable for full fee for cancelled day.

*Per diem for each hearing day, all time spent in study and preparation of Opinion and Award. Includes first two hours of travel; $200/hr. for additional travel time. Additional time spent in hearings over seven hours per day billed at $400 per hour for additional time. Appropriate and reasonable expenses billed for travel (IRS mileage rate, or actual car/air/train/hotel expenses). NOTE ALL TRAVEL CHARGES ORIGINATE FROM MARLTON.