|
Law Practice Thomas F. Hartnett, Co-Chair of Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C.’s Government Relations practice and a part of the firm’s Labor practice, has been Of Counsel to the firm since 1991. Based in the New York State capital of Albany, Mr. Hartnett has significant and longstanding relationships with members of the State Legislature, State agencies, and all levels of State government. He represents a number of key health care providers, as well as major public and private sector labor management entities. Mr. Hartnett’s broad-based experience includes the areas of human resource management, labor-management relations, labor law, collective bargaining and employee benefits. Professional Profile During the period of 1991 through 1995, Mr. Hartnett served as permanent neutral arbitrator for the New York City Transit Authority and the Transport Workers’ Union. He was New York State’s Commissioner of Labor from 1987 until 1991, serving as the chief executive officer of the State Department of Labor, as well as the governor’s chief advisor on all labor issues. In this capacity, Mr. Hartnett managed an overall annual budget of over one billion dollars, a staff in excess of 5,200, and more than 150 facilities statewide. Over the course of four years, Mr. Hartnett represented the governor before numerous groups, at conventions and before the media.Mr. Hartnett previously served as director of the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations from 1983 until 1987. As the state’s chief labor negotiator, he conducted collective negotiations with public employee unions representing over 200,000 state workers in twelve bargaining units. He negotiated health insurance benefits for more than 400,000 state and local government employees, introducing various innovations in cost containment. During his tenure, Mr. Hartnett designed and successfully negotiated implementation of the state’s first major restructuring of its health insurance program. Mr. Hartnett held the position of Deputy Director for Contract Negotiations and Administration for the Office of Employee Relations from 1979 until 1983. Previously, he held management positions in personnel and labor relations for the New York Telephone Company, and was a union representative for the Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO.Board and Committee Appointments In 2005, United States Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, re-appointed Mr. Hartnett as Chairperson of the Labor Department’s Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship for a second consecutive two-year term. He also held this position during the Clinton administration. During the course of his term, Mr. Hartnett will continue to guide the Committee in providing recommendations to the Secretary on issues related to apprenticeship and on the creation of employment and training programs for youth, disadvantaged adults and dislocated workers. Also in 2005, Mr. Hartnett was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Arsenal Business and Technology Partnership. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Chair of the Public Employees Committee, and a member of the Board of the Urban League of Northeastern New York. He served on the Board of Directors of the Work in America Institute from 1984 until 1992, and was a member of the Advisory Committee of the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations from 1987 until 1991. From 1993 until 1996, Mr. Hartnett served as a judge for the Governor’s Excelsior Awards.Labor Accomplishments Mr. Hartnett negotiated the first Classification and Compensations Study review of the state’s system in more than thirty years. He also has been a principal figure in the settlement of major labor union work stoppages, including the following:Mediated settlement for New York Post labor negotiations, which enabled the newspaper to continue operations in 1990.Mediated settlement in the Long Island Railroad Strike with management and twelve unions to restore service to 100,000 commuters in 1989.Settled the 39 day strike between Local 1199 and the League of Voluntary Hospitals in New York City in 1986.While serving as New York State Commissioner of Labor, he:Reformed New York State child labor laws.Restructured the department, expanded jurisdiction, streamlined management structure and implemented one-stop employment and training services.Increased the New York State Minimum Wage and Unemployment Insurance benefit.Consolidated education and training initiatives within the department.Instituted the Governor’s Excelsior Awards program to recognize total quality management in the state. Headed a delegation of prominent New York State educators, elected representatives and private sector executives to study productivity issues in Japan. Recognition Mr. Hartnett has testified before the Congress of the United States on a wide range of employment and labor-related issues, including ERISA preemption, striker replacement legislation, child labor law reform, and the Veteran’s Bill of Rights. He has also testified before the New York State Legislature on pay equity, comparable worth, job classification, and other issues.Additionally, Mr. Hartnett has been covered in print media, including Crain's New York Business and The New York Times, "Man of the Times 1985." He has appeared on local, national and international radio and television programs including the McNeil-Lehrer Report, the Today Show, Prime Time Live, the BBC, Lifetime Television, and New York-based WNBC-TV, WCBS-TV and WOR-Radio. |
