Key Topics
The discussion will focus on the major take aways from the recently issued arbitration award entitled, “Graduate Employee Organization UAW Local 2322 – and – University of Massachusetts (Amherst).” This award was in favor of the University and prevented an attempt by the Union to incorporate grant funded graduate students into the bargaining unit.
Speaker Bios
Alexcia Gayle, Senior Director of Labor Relations, Amherst (Facilitator)
Alexcia Gayle is a human resource leader with over 20 years of experience specializing in employee and labor relations, conflict resolution, and human resources management. As the Senior Director of Labor Relations for the Amherst campus, she leads a dedicated team in managing labor relations for the staff bargaining units, ensuring smooth labor negotiations, compliance with collective bargaining agreements, and fostering a fair and equitable workplace environment.
Joseph Ambash (Panelist)
Joe is a partner at the national management labor and employment firm Fisher & Phillips. He has represented the University in labor relations matters for over 40 years, dealing with cases at all campuses. His representation has included handling numerous representation cases, unfair labor practice cases, arbitrations, fact-findings, and Department of Labor investigations, as well as negotiating agreements with various University unions. He has vast experience representing both public and private higher education institutions in dealing with labor and employment matters, including handling faculty disputes and negotiating with graduate students.
Michael Eagen (Panelist)
Michael Eagen has been the Associate Provost for Academic Personnel for UMass Amherst since 2017 where he oversees human resources and labor relations matters specific to the academic employees include faculty, librarians, post-doctoral researchers, graduate employees and scientific staff. He previously served as Director of Labor Relations and Labor Counsel for the University of Connecticut and a labor and employment attorney in private practice and in-house for a large municipality.
Ethan Mutschler(Panelist)
Ethan has served as Associate Counsel in the Office of General Counsel at the University of Massachusetts since 2012. His area of practice is in Labor and Employment Law representing the five-campus system at the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations and Arbitration forums. Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel, Ethan served as the Director of Labor and Employee Relations at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School overseeing collective bargaining and contract administration within the Office of Human Resources. Prior to joining the UMass system in 2004, he worked as a staff representative and Higher Education Coordinator at the Service Employees International Union, Local 888. Ethan received a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and a B.A from Wesleyan University.