Binding arbitration is required to be part of a collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) between a school board and teachers union, and a school board’s refusal to arbitrate grievances under the CBA generally violates 115 ILCS 5/14(a)(1) of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act (“Act”), which provides: “Educational employers, their agents or representatives are prohibited from [] [i]nterfering, restraining or coercing employees in the ... Read More
Attorneys at Spesia & Taylor Complete a Major Utility’s Purchase of the North Maine Water and Wastewater Systems
The Utility Team at Spesia & Taylor recently completed the closing on the North Maine water and wastewater collection and distribution systems, which were purchased by one of the Firm’s Illinois Public Utility clients. The North Maine systems provide service for 44,000 customers in Cook County, Illinois. Partner Chris Spesia took the lead on the transaction and worked closely with the attorneys for the former municipal owner of the North ... Read More
Spesia & Taylor Seeks Pension Funds from Murderer on Behalf of the Victim’s Family
On behalf of the family of the victim – a mother of three children - attorneys John Spesia, and Jacob Gancarczyk have filed a lawsuit seeking portions of the murderer’s state pension under an Illinois statute which prevents a murderer from receiving property, benefit or other interest as a result of the victim’s death. Attorneys from Spesia & Taylor also seek to prevent the murderer from receiving any of the victims financial accounts and ... Read More
Spesia & Taylor Attorneys Obtain Defense Verdict in Multi-Million Dollar Case
Attorneys Jeff Taylor and Michael Stiff successfully defended (not guilty in a lengthy bench trial) a claim on a personal guarantee valued in excess of $2,000,000.00 and alleged breach of fiduciary duty in a complex case which involved defenses of estoppel, accord and satisfaction, breach of contract, constructive trust, unclean hands, equitable apportionment and interpretation of a Marital Settlement Agreement. The attorneys were able to ... Read More
School Boards: When May a School Board Refuse to Arbitrate a Grievance?
As the Illinois Supreme Court held in Board of Education of the City of Chicago v. Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, 215 IL 118043: “A school district may refuse to arbitrate a grievance where: (1) there is no contractual agreement to arbitrate the substance of the dispute or (2) the dispute is not arbitrable under section 10(b) of the Act because the subject matter of the dispute conflicts with Illinois law.” As the Court further held, ... Read More
