CWA General Counsel Mary O'Melveny Updates Conference Delegates on Current Legal Issues

Delegates at the CWA Civil Rights and Equity Conference in New Orleans, LA last month were given a detailed briefing on some of the most critical legal cases confronting women and minorities not only in our union but across America. CWA's General Counsel Mary O'Melveny currently serves as General Counsel to the union. Prior to this appointment, she was CWA's Special Litigation Counsel for 17 years and was also Of Counsel to the New York Labor law firm Semel, Young & Norum. Mary has handled many court cases for the union, including class action cases involving the Family and Medical Leave Act and pregnancy discrimination claims as well as cases involving harassment, disability discrimination, and other cases affecting workers. Mary served as General Counsel to the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) assisting union women on a wide variety of equal employment and labor rights issues. Mary is a member of the governing Counsel of the American Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section, is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, is listed in the 2009-10 edition of "Best Lawyers in America", and is a Member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. We are privileged to have her.

Mary's presentation to the delegates in New Orleans covered many items including but not limited to National Labor Relations Board cases and the Citizens United Supreme Court case regarding political spending. She also gave a definitive explanation of Family Medical Leave Act and of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

A summary of these cases is available. Mary asks those reading this post with an interest in these matters to fill out the ADA Survey along with the FMLA Compliance Survey and e-mail them back to her at maryo@cwa-union.org.

The Civil Rights and Equity Committee thanks Mary for her expert contribution to the conference and hopes that the information posted here will provide the foundation you need as you move forward with your Civil Rights and Equity work.