Certificate in Labor Arbitration

ADVANCE YOUR LABOR ARBITRATION KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLSET SO YOU CAN LEAD IWTH CREDIBILITY AND CONFIDENCE

Join our four-session dimmers online course in May 2026 to equip yourself with the foundational legal knowledge, process fluency, and practical judgment that distinguish highly effective arbitrators, union advocates, HR professionals, and labor relations leaders.

Our four-session course covers foundational aspects of labor arbitration, while also exploring advanced arbitral topics:

• Application of just-cause in the context of disciplinary matters, and the implications of past practice with respect to contract interpretation
• Public-sector considerations, including interest arbitration, and Constitutional protections applicable within the public-sector.
• Post-arbitration considerations, including enforcement and appeals of arbitration awards, and implications for impacted employees, including issues relating to personnel records.

You know the importance of staying up-to-date in the world of labor arbitration, to avoid misinterpreting or mishandling a case.

This program lays out a clear plan to support your success, with sessions that build upon one another and address various aspects and issues arising within labor arbitration.

1. Foundations & context – establish the legal framework (employment law, NLRA, LMRDA, ULPs, DFR, Weingarten) and review common terms and concepts impacting upon labor arbitration, including just case, past practice, and collective bargaining agreements and their provisions relating to discipline, grievance procedures, and management rights.
2. Public-sector nuances – explore state labor statutes; interest vs grievance arbitration, including state-specific examples such as Michigan's Act 312; consider off-duty conduct of public employees, and; discuss Constitutional protections applicable within the public sector, specifically First Amendment issues, including employee speech as analyzed under the Pickering Balancing Test, as well as protections afforded under Garrity and Loudermill.
3. Arbitral powers & CBA implications – focus on "just cause" and the traditional seven tests, defining and understanding the implications of past-practice, social-media issues and their intersection with employee discipline, and the arbitral hearing itself, including arbitrator authority, motion practice, exhibit planning, and crafting your hearing strategy.
4. Post-arbitration and capstone – address the reading of arbitration awards, enforcement, appeals, grounds for vacatur of an arbitration award, personnel-record impacts and a final mock hearing segment with a course debrief.

Mock arbitration built in: Right from session one you will engage with an evolving case file detailing a fact pattern resulting in the filing of a grievance on the basis of employee discipline, with such grievance ultimately being processed to arbitration. You will assume a role within the mock arbitration, participate in strategy development, hearing preparation, and then conclude with a short hearing segment and brief.

Throughout, you'll build process fluency, sharpen judgment, and strengthen your ability to lead or serve in high-stakes labor arbitration settings.

 

THE PATH TO HR EXCELLENCE WITH MSU HRLR

By attending this program, you will learn:

• Apply foundational concepts in labor relations to real arbitration cases, deepening your understanding of how various labor and employment statutes, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements impact upon fair outcomes in the workplace.
• Conduct or participate in grievance arbitration with procedural accuracy and persuasive advocacy, developing skills essential for HR professionals, labor relations managers, and union representatives involved in workplace dispute resolution.
• Consider the implications of “just cause,” past practice, and applicable CBA language, and how such terms and concepts align with arbitral precedent, gaining the analytical skills to evaluate evidence, weigh arguments, and craft defensible positions.
• Understand arbitration award implications for the workplace, award enforcement, appeals, and grounds for vacatur, ensuring your decisions and actions align with best practices in labor arbitration.
• Strengthen your professional credibility as a labor relations or HR leader who can navigate complex grievance processes, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and lead confidently in high-stakes arbitration environments.

 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND THIS CLASS

This program is designed for professionals who play a role in managing, interpreting, or advocating within collective bargaining and arbitration processes. It is especially valuable for:

• HR and labor relations professionals who want to strengthen their understanding of labor arbitration and the laws impacting upon such arbitrations, grievance handling, and the just cause standard.
• Union representatives and stewards who participate in contract administration, discipline cases, and arbitration hearings.
• Public-sector managers and employee relations specialists who must navigate the unique statutory and constitutional considerations applicable within the context of public employment.
• New and emerging leaders in labor relations who want to develop the confidence, legal insight, and procedural fluency needed to handle disputes effectively.

Whether you are preparing for your first arbitration hearing or refining your existing expertise, this course provides the clarity and practice-based learning that develop and enhance professional credibility and confidence.

 

WHY CHOOSE HRLR'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM?

Home to one of the top Masters programs in Human Resources and Labor Relations, as well as an internationally recognized doctoral program and a thriving undergraduate program in Human Resources and Labor Relations, Michigan State University's School of Human Resources and Labor Relations is known as one of the top institutions for emerging HR and labor professionals.

As an extension of the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations, our professional development and certification programs offer a premier source of education in human resources, labor and employment relations, workers' compensation, and leadership.

 

ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS

 

• Register
• Instructor
• Policies
• Recertification

Questions? We would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding this or any of our training programs. Please contact Director of Professional Development, Melanie Zaremba at mzaremba@msu.edu.