David Johnson

Prior to joining Franczek P.C. in 2010, David served as Chief Labor Negotiator for the City of Chicago, where he was responsible for more than 50 union contract negotiations covering bargaining units ranging from a few hundred to more than 10,000 members, including police, fire, emergency services, skilled trades, and administrative and clerical units. During his tenure he:

• Successfully represented the City of Chicago in several interest arbitration proceedings
• Negotiated concessionary agreements with municipal unions to achieve cost savings and avert the layoff of more than 1,000 employees
• Handled scores of unfair labor practice and representation case proceedings before the Illinois Labor Relations Board
• Represented the City in more than 250 arbitration hearings

Since joining the firm in 2010, David has expanded his practice to include the representation of other public bodies and municipalities in collective bargaining. This includes the negotiation of project labor agreements, interest arbitration, grievance arbitration and Labor Board proceedings, in addition to providing counsel on labor and employment issues ranging from hiring, discharge, promotion, and discrimination claims, Prevailing Wage Act issues, and claims arising under the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act.

In his work on behalf of public bodies, he has been intimately involved in public pension reform efforts, from negotiating with unions to gain their agreement to pension changes to drafting pension reform legislation to representing public bodies in court challenges to pension law changes. He also represents private sector employers in the hospitality and convention industries, where he negotiates collective bargaining agreements and represents employers before the National Labor Relations Board.

David has presented before the National Academy of Arbitrators and on multiple occasions at the annual Illinois Public Sector Labor Relations Conference.