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LERA 78th Annual Meeting
May 28 - 31, 2026
(Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Royal Sonesta, Minneapolis, MN

"Bridging the Divide: Tripartite Solutions for a Changing World"

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LERA is committed to supporting Minneapolis. Register now to attend the LERA 78th Annual Meeting, May 28 - 31, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota! The program will feature four days of intense learning and skill building at over 80 workshops, and sessions, along with more than 350 diverse presenters from every community focused on “Bridging the Divide: Tripartite Solutions for a Changing World” 

Build your networks and knowledge with managers, unions, researchers, public policy, and agency staff from throughout the U.S. and abroad. Return home with value added for your organization and your job.

Take part in practical workshops, join debates on the latest applied research topics, and hear from experts on how their companies, organizations, and unions have successfully navigated workplace issues critical to success.

All participants and attendees must register, including speakers and discussants (chairs, panelists, presenters, speakers, discussants, etc.). The early-bird registration deadline is March 25, 2026 extended to April 10, 2026! Online registration will be open through May 18, 2026.

Registration • Hotel • Program • Featured Events and Speakers • Practitioner Hub • Student Consortium • Jr. Faculty Consortium • Award Winners • Organizations • Program Committee • Participant Information • Sponsors

LERA Professional Code of Conduct • How to File a Complaint

Registration is open! All participants and attendees must register, including speakers and discussants (chairs, panelists, presenters, speakers, discussants, etc.). The early-bird registration deadline is March 25, 2026. Online registration will be open through May 18, 2026. After that, onsite registration will be offered at the LERA headquarters hotel. Onsite registration will open at 7 am on the opening day of the conference and at 8 am on the second, third, and fourth days of the conference.

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National LERA Member
Non-member
Early Bird Rates (February 15 - March 26)
Full Meeting - $385
Student/Apprentice - $231
Emeritus - $270
1 day - $250		 Full Meeting - $605
1 day - $470
Standard Rates (March 26 April 10 - May 2)
Full Meeting - $473
Student/Apprentice - $284
Emeritus - $331
1 day - $307		 Full Meeting - $693
1 day - $527
Late Rates (May 3 - May 23)
Full Meeting - $561
Student/Apprentice - $337
Emeritus - $393
1 day - $365		 Full Meeting - $781
1 day - $585
Onsite Rates (May 24 - May 31)
Full Meeting - $650
Student/Apprentice - $390
Emeritus - $455
1 day - $423		 Full Meeting - $870
1 day - $643

 


The LERA Hotel is the Royal Sonesta, located at 35 S 7th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402, USA. The discounted room rate of $169 is available through April 30, 2026, or until the room block fills up.
Complete hotel details can be found here: https://lera.memberclicks.net/78th-am-hotel
Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Sherco Solar

Tour of the Sherco Solar Project and reception at LIUNA Local 563 - Wednesday, May 27th from 1 - 7:30 pm. 
Ticket price $40 - registration opening soon!

Visit the largest solar farm in the Upper Midwest, and enjoy a discussion of the collaborative work between Xcel, union contractors, and the building trades that deliver high-road energy infrastructure and pathways into construction careers. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about this nationally significant example of how clean energy investments can support high-quality union jobs and regional economic development.

We have transportation arranged to leave from The Royal Sonesta at 1pm, take us to the solar farm for the tour and conversation, then to the LIUNA hall for a reception, and onto the basketball game or back to the hotel, so everything is covered! (basketball game ticket purchased separately)

 Lynx Logo

WNBA game (Minnesota Lynx vs Atlanta Dream), doors open at 7 pm with tipoff 8 pm. 
Ticket price $30 - registration opening soon!

Come network with other LERA members and enjoy Target Center and the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx are one of the WNBA's best teams and have great local support, producing a fun environment. If our block fills up, we will qualify for a team photo on the court after the game! Tickets in the LERA block are $30 and our seating is in section 104, rows M, N, P (these are all together). 

The Royal Sonesta is only a short 2 blocks away from Target Center, so transportation to and from the game will be on your own. However, if you are also attending the Sherco tour, LERA will provide transportation from the LIUNA Union Hall to the game.

Tickets are electronic and delivered through the Lynx app to the email on the event registration. Note that there is a strict no bag policy for bags larger than 5”x9”. For more information to consider please visit the Lynx know before you go.
Thursday, May 28, 2026

LERA Opening Plenary
"Appreciating the Work of Musicians: Labor and Employment Relations in the Music Industry"

Taking place from 8 - 8:45 am

The work of musicians and other musical artists centers on performance, building on mastery, creativity, rehearsal, and often surprisingly challenging physical demands. It also involves community connections, education, and collaboration. This panel lifts up this work from the perspective of a performer, a labor leader, and a management leader. This connects to the LERA Community Council on Collective Bargaining and the proposed council on Sports and Entertainment.

Moderator: Rosemary Batt, Cornell University

Panelists: Douglas Ewart, Jamaican musician and educator; Jeffrey D. Boyd, American Guild of Musical Artists; and Paul J. Zech, Felhaber Larson

Discussant: Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Brandeis University

Public Policy Luncheon Plenary

Taking place from 12 - 1:30 pm

Description

Joint Universities' Welcome Reception

Taking place from 4:45 - 6:15 pm

Major University Sponsors

Meet the Neutrals Spotlight Event

Taking place from 6:30 - 8:30 pm

This event requires a separate registration in advance of the conference. Please visit: raycorollary.org/lera2026 for more information and to register.

The event is designed to spotlight the qualifications and career highlights of a featured group of neutrals in the labor and employment law field, who will be introduced to selectors attending the conference. The Ray Corollary Initiative, Inc. (RCI) is hosting this event as part of the RCI’s mission to identify and utilize all of the available talent in the dispute resolution field. Specifically, the RCI seeks to provide opportunities for those who select ADR professionals and for qualified professionals who have not had the same exposure as more established neutrals, to meet, connect, and overcome some of the difficulties that exist in forming new business relationships. This event is not intended for senior, well-established arbitrators and mediators. Food and drinks will be provided.

Moderator: Chris Heagarty, Ray Corollary Initiative
Friday, May 29, 2026

Annual Labor Breakfast: A Conversation with Minnesota Labor Leaders

Taking place from 7:45 - 8:45 am

Sponsored by the Labor Education Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the AFL-CIO

Moderators: Robert Bruno, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and Candace Archer, AFL-CIO

Panelist: Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, President of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO

Climate Jobs Birds of a Feather Luncheon, Sponsored by Illinois Climate Jobs Institute

Taking place from 12 - 1:30 pm
As the clean energy transition accelerates, building strong, cross-sector networks is essential to advancing high-quality jobs, effective policy, and equitable outcomes for workers and communities. This networking luncheon offers a valuable opportunity to connect with researchers, practitioners, labor leaders, and policymakers, exchange ideas, and strengthen relationships at the forefront of climate jobs and the evolving world of work. If you are interested in issues at the intersection of Climate and Jobs, please plan to attend, all are welcome.

Moderator: Richard A. Benton, Climate Jobs Institute at the 

Democracy and Workers' Rights in America: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Taking place from 1:45 - 2:45 pm

The second Trump administration has presented enormous challenges for both labor and democracy in the United States, including unprecedented attacks on federal workers' jobs and their unions, and efforts to dismantle the government's capacity to protect workers' rights. Much has been written about the long-term erosion of American democracy; however, less attention has focused on the specific impacts of institutional changes in workplace and labor market governance. This session examines these issues in terms of both historical trends and contemporary crises, at national and state levels, from a panel of academic researchers, policy experts, and labor movement practitioners.

Moderator: Chris Rhomberg, Fordham University

Panelists: Mike Podhorzer, AFL-CIO; Laura Bucci, St. Joseph's University; Lucas A. Franco, LIUNA Minnesota and North Dakota; Gwynne A. Wilcox, Former National Labor Relations Board Member; and Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General
Saturday, May 30, 2026

LERA Annual Presidential Address and Luncheon

Taking place from 12 - 1:30 pm

Moderator: Beverly E. Harrison, Program Committee Chair and Arbitrator/Mediator
Featured Speaker: John W. Budd, LERA President and University of Minnesota

LERA 28th Annual PhD Student Consortium

Taking place from 9 -11:45 am

The LERA 28th Annual PhD Student Consortium co-chairs Alex Busch, MIT Sloan; Stefan Ivanovski, Cornell University; Jianxuan Lei, University of Minnesota; Sumati Thusoo, Rutgers University have organized a program aimed at PhD Students in the field of LER titled "Navigating Power, Precarity, and Possibility in Labor Scholarship: Careers, Communities, and Research in a Changing Global Context"! The consortium will meet from 9 - 11:45 am, Saturday, May 30, 2026. To register for this event, you must first register for the LERA 78th Annual Meeting, and indicate on the registration form that you plan to attend the PhD Student Consortium.

For program and complete information, please visit: https://www.leraweb.org/phd-student-consortium-2026.

The 2026 consortium is sponsored by contributions from:

Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Florida International University, College of Business
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management and IWER
Michigan State University, School or Human Resources and Labor Relations
Pennsylvania State University, School of Labor and Employment Relations
Rutgers University, School of Management and Labor Relations
The Industrial Relations Section at Princeton University
University of Toronto, Center for Industrial Relations and Human Resources
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, School of Labor & Employment Relations
University of Minnesota, Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies 

LERA 8th Annual Jr. Faculty Consortium

Taking place from 3:15 - 4:30 pm

The LERA 8th Annual Jr. Faculty Consortium co-chairs, Johnnie Kallas, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Arrow Minster, San Francisco State University; and Shannon Potter, Laval University, have organized a program especially for Jr. Faculty! The consortium will meet from 3:15 - 4:30 pm, Saturday, May 30, 2026. To register for this event, you must first register for the LERA 78th Annual Meeting, and indicate on the registration form that you plan to attend the Jr. Faculty Consortium.

For program and complete information, please visit: https://lera.memberclicks.net/8th-jr-faculty-consortium-2026

The 2026 consortium is sponsored by contributions from:

University of Minnesota, Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies
University of Rhode Island, College of Business 

General Membership Meeting and Awards Ceremony

Taking place from 4:45 - 6:15 pm

Come hear brief reports from the LERA committees and then help celebrate the LERA 2026 Award Winners!

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Bridging the Divide: The Practitioner Hub

Real-World Strategy, Organizing, and Workplace Solutions

The 2026 LERA Annual Meeting brings together diverse perspectives across the field. For those working directly in labor and employment relations, the Practitioner Hub highlights a curated path through the program focused on real-world application.

This is where research meets practice, and where ideas are translated into strategy.

A Conference Within the Conference

If you are navigating organizing campaigns, bargaining tables, workplace policy, or workforce challenges, this hub is designed to help you focus on the sessions most relevant to your work.

 

If you are participating in this meeting as a session chair, paper presenter, a panelist, a speaker, a discussant, or poster presenter, there is information that you will need to reference throughout the next several months, and after the meeting is complete.


For complete details, visit: https://leraweb.org/participant-information-2026

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Program Committee Chair: Beverly Harrison, JD, Arbitrator/Mediator and LERA President-Elect

Practitioner Vice Chair: Meeta Bass, Arbitrator/ Mediator

Academic Vice Chair: Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Brandeis University

Members:

  • Mark Anner, Rutgers University
  • Candace Archer, AFL-CIO
  • Holland Atkinson, Hennepin County
  • Ariel Avgar, Cornell University
  • Kate Bahn, Institute for Women's Policy Research
  • Mark Berkowitz, Attorney
  • Matthew Bodah, University of Rhode Island
  • Tequila Brooks, TJ Brooks, Esq.
  • Matthew Capece, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
  • Rassandra Cody, Kaiser Permanente
  • Stephanie Fortado, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  • Rudy Gonzalez, San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO
  • Darrick Hamilton, AFL-CIO
  • Amena Haynes, Management Perspective
  • Tazewell Hurst, IAMAW
  • Homer La Rue, Howard University School of Law, La Rue Dispute Resolution Svcs., and Ray Corollary Initiative
  • Philip LaPorte, Arbitrator/Mediator and Georgia State University
  • Michael Loconto, Arbitrator/Mediator
  • David Madland, Center for American Progress
  • Edward (Pat) McDermott, Arbitrator/Mediator and Salisbury University
  • Stephen Silvia, American University
  • Lionel Sims, Kaiser Permanente
  • Christy Yoshitomi, Former FMCS
  • Tingting Zhang, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Ex-officio Members of the Program Committee:

  • John Budd, President
  • Helen Liu, Editor-in-Chief
  • William Canak, NCAC Chair
  • Hye Jin Rho, Poster Session Chair
  • Andrew Weaver, Secretary/Treasurer

Administrator: Emily Smith, LERA (non-voting)

Regional Events Team

Lucas Franco, LIUNA Great Lakes Region (Chair)
John Budd, LERA President and UMN
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LERA Sustaining Sponsors

Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance of Health Care Unions

Kaiser and Alliance Logos

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

JAMS Logo

LERA Major University Sponsors

Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, School of Labor & Employment Relations
Rutgers University, School of Management and Labor Relations
The Industrial Relations Section at Princeton University
University of Minnesota, Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies
Pennsylvania State University, School of Labor and Employment Relations
Michigan State University, School or Human Resources and Labor Relations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institute for Work and Employment Research

Florida International University, College of Business
Wayne State University, Labor@Wayne

Major University Sponsors

Iron Sponsors

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
State of Minnesota, Bureau of Mediation Services
United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals

AFL-CIOUNAC Logo

Bronze Sponsor

Sponsor

University of Rhode Island College of Business

Diversity and Inclusion Sponsors

Exhibitors

 Cornell University Press

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