Labor Relations

Working as a team, the CA BOCES Labor Relations Service provides management support to component school districts regarding a wide range of labor and employment, and education law matters, including:

• Preventative Measures: The LR team strives to keep its participating schools informed by providing, among other things: periodic legal updates (including updates regarding relevant laws and regulations, and court and administrative decisions in areas such as labor, general municipal, public officer, education and civil service law), comprehensive reference manuals, presentations on labor and school related issues, and password-protected web resources to assist superintendents, business officials and other school administrators.  The team also provides trainings tailored to specific district needs.
• Employee Issues: The LR team supports school administrators in handling a wide range of employee matters, including from the basic drafting of a counseling memo to conducting fact intensive investigations, through to representing a district in a Section 75 hearing (or corresponding disciplinary arbitration).  Additionally, the department provides assistance with matters related to discrimination, harassment, and disability accommodations.
• Collective Bargaining & Contract Management: The LR team is available to represent districts at the table in collective bargaining, or to provide other support during negotiations (such as drafting proposals, providing comparative data and conducting regional surveys). The LR team helps districts to administer collective bargaining agreements by providing feedback on contract interpretation questions, supporting schools in contract disputes and grievances, and representing districts in grievance arbitrations and matters before the New York State Public Employment Relations Board (“PERB”).
• Student Disciplinary Hearings: The LR team provides districts a reference manual to help navigate Education Law § 3214 and the student hearing process. The LR team is also available to act as hearing officers pursuant to Education Law § 3214 for school districts holding student disciplinary hearings.
• Additional Resources:  The LR team helps districts to control costs by bulk ordering “School Law” books as new editions are published.  The team also helps schools to meet their labor law posting responsibilities by periodically submitting bulk orders for Labor Law posters.

For additional information on the LR service, please feel free to call 716-376-8237.

You can also contact the CA BOCES Labor Relations Department at LR@caboces.orgcreate new email.

Pamela Kirkwood – General Counsel / Director of Labor Relations
Telephone: 716.376.8237opens phone dialer
Email: Pam_Kirkwood@caboces.orgcreate new email

Lonnie Farrington – Attorney / Senior Labor Relations Specialist
Telephone: 716.376.8207opens phone dialer
Email: Lonnie_Farrington@caboces.orgcreate new email

Kyle Milliron – Senior Labor Relations Specialist
Telephone: 716.376.8244opens phone dialer
Email: Kyle Milliron@caboces.orgcreate new email

Jennifer Ault – Paralegal
Telephone: 716.376.8233opens phone dialer
Email: Jennifer_Ault@caboces.orgcreate new email