Melinda Gordon is a full-time Labor and Employment Arbitrator and Mediator. She has over thirty-eight years of experience in labor-management relations in the private and public sectors. She is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators. Melinda has also conducted numerous investigations regarding various forms of discrimination, including sexual harassment.

 

Melinda is listed on the following arbitration and mediation rosters: the American Arbitration Association’s Labor, Employment, Worker’s Compensation, Work Place Investigation, Mediation, and ConsumerPanels; Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Panel; MLB Salary Arbitration Panel; Writer’s Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers; UPS & Teamsters Joint Area Labor Management Greivance Commitee; Columbia University & Student Workers of Columbia; National Mediation Board; American Health Lawyers’ Association Panel; NYS Public Employment Relations Arbitration, Mediation and Fact-Finding Panels; New York State and New York State Public Employees Federation (“PEF”) Disciplinary Arbitration Panel and New York State and PEF Select Panel of Disciplinary Arbitration, New York State and United University Professions; NYC Office of Collective Bargaining; NYS Teacher Tenure Panel; NJ State Board of Mediation; NJ Public Employment Relations Commission (“PERC”); NJ PERC Special Disciplinary Arbitration Panel; NY and NJ Port Authority; Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation; Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board; 1199 Internal Staff Disciplinary Arbitration Panel; and FINRA. She also serves as a permanent arbitrator in various industries, including education and health care.

 

Prior to becoming a full-time arbitrator and mediator in 2013, Melinda was a Senior Counsel at the New York State United Teachers for over twenty years. As Senior Counsel, Melinda litigated labor, employment, and constitutional matters for public and private sector union officers and employees. As a Chief Negotiator of collective bargaining agreements on behalf of registered nurses from 1990 to 1993, Melinda gained valuable insight into contract construction and the bargaining process. While at New York State Nurses Association, Melinda also advised and represented Registered Nurses on medical and pension benefits, health and safety issues, and other labor and employment matters. As an Assistant Attorney General in the Labor Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office in 1990, Melinda investigated and enforced New York State Labor Laws, including

unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, and health and safety violations. Melinda was also involved in civil and criminal prosecutions regarding prevailing wage, minimum wage, and overtime violations. Melinda represented indigent defendants accused of criminal offenses from arraignment through trial at the Legal Aid Society of New York City. As a practicing attorney, Melinda appeared in numerous judicial and administrative forums.

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Melinda is a frequent American Bar Association (“ABA”) author on articles regarding arbitration. She serves as a Chapter Editor for the ABA Midwinter Report on the Fair Labor Standards Act. She also is a contributing author to the ABA Midwinter Report on the Family Medical Leave Act.

Melinda teaches Arbitration and Public Sector and Private Labor and Employment Law classes at the City University of New York. Melinda is a 1983 graduate of Rutger’s College, Rutger’s University, majoring in history and labor studies. Melinda received her law degree in 1986 from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.