Harry J. Secaras

Traditional Labor Relations

• Harry has negotiated approximately 50 collective bargaining agreements (including agreements on behalf of employer associations). He has represented employers in representation and unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board and in the Appellate Courts. During the last five years, he has negotiated several collective bargaining agreements for employers in the healthcare, trucking/logistics, and construction industries.
• He successfully represented a large manufacturer in the container industry in an unfair labor practice matter alleging that the employer refused to bargain in good-faith and unlawfully locked out its employees. The NLRB reversed the findings of the Administrative Law Judge and ruled that the Company had engaged in “hard bargaining” but had bargained in good faith and lawfully locked out the bargaining unit. The D.C. Circuit affirmed the Board’s decision.

Other examples of his Traditional Labor experience include:

• On behalf of a company in the food service industry, assisting the company to prevail in a NLRB election against the Teamsters Union. Notwithstanding the unexpected petition, Mr. Secaras guided the employer through a campaign resulting in a majority of production and maintenance employees voting to not be represented by the Teamsters.
• On behalf of a national health care company, develop and implement a strategy to resist organizing by the Service Employees International Union in Illinois.
• On behalf of a company in the plastics industry, develop an election campaign strategy, which resulted in the Union withdrawing its Petition for Election two days prior to the election.
• On behalf of a company servicing commercial railroads, develop and implement a negotiation strategy for bargaining to preserve company work and work rules notwithstanding aggressive union negotiation tactics.
• On behalf of a retail client, providing strategic guidance and counselling regarding union efforts to organize workers during COVID including managing intermittent strike activity.

Wage and Hour

Harry routinely counsels employer regarding employee classification issues, proper payment of overtime, and proper utilization of tip-credit under federal and state law. He has defended many lawsuits alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Illinois Minimum Wage Law and the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act.

Harry represents employers in the restaurant/food service sector regarding proper classification of employees and payment of wages.

Harry also represents employers in audits conducted by federal and state wage and hour agencies. Most recently, he represented a restaurant with eight locations being audited by the U.S. Department of Labor and successfully reduced the auditors’ calculations by more than $40,000.

BIPA

Harry counsels employers in the implementation of compliant policies and employee consents/releases required by the Illinois Biometric Privacy Information Act. He also has represented employers in state and federal court class action litigation challenging BIPA compliance.

Employment

Harry regularly represents employers in administrative matters before federal, state and local agencies including the EEOC and state/local human rights agencies and the DOL (OSHA and FLSA matters). He also counsels and advises clients on day-to-day employment matters including development and implementation of employment policies, handbooks and manuals.

Education

• J.D., University of Illinois, 1989
• M.B.A., University of Illinois, 1989
• B.A., Economics, University of Illinois, 1985

Admission to Practice

• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
• Illinois
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth, Seventh and District of Columbia Circuits

• American Bar Association (Labor Section; Committee on Practice and Procedure before the NLRB)
• Former Regional (Midwest Region) Committee Chair (Management) – ABA Committee on Practice and Procedure before the NLRB
• Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois (Member; Past President; Past Chairman of the Board of Directors; Founding Member; Board of Directors)
• Member, Continental Who’s Who
• Member, COO Forum (Chicago Chapter); Steering Committee Member
• Instructor, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee School of Continuing Education
• Labor Relations Training for Manager and Supervisors in a Unionized Setting
• Successfully Navigating the Grievance and Arbitration Process in the Public Sector

• October 26, 2022 – SHRM Online – “First Jury Verdict Issued in Illinois Biometric Privacy Act Class Action”
• 2021 – IICLE Publication (Chapter Author) – “Labor Law: Unfair Labor Practices”
• 2000-present – BNA Publications (Senior Editor and Chapter Author) – “How to Take a Case Before the NLRB”

• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®
  • Employment Law – Management (2021-2025)
  • Labor Law – Management (2021-2025)
• Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
• Illinois Super Lawyer (2005, 2007, 2010-present)
• Leading Lawyer (2004-present)
• Martindale-Hubbell AV rated for more than 10 years