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Melinda Gordon is a full-time Labor and Employment Arbitrator and Mediator. She has over 40 years of experience in labor-management relations in the private and public sectors. Before commencing a career as an arbitrator and mediator, Melinda represented individuals and organizations in all aspects of labor and employment law. Melinda has also conducted numerous investigations regarding various forms of discrimination, including sexual harassment. She is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators and the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

 

Melinda is listed on the following arbitration and mediation rosters: the AAA's Labor, Employment, Worker’s Compensation, Work Place Investigation, Mediation, and ConsumerPanels; FMCS; National Mediation Board; American Health Lawyers’ Association Panel; NYS PERB Arbitration, Mediation, and Fact-Finding Panels; NYC Office of Collective Bargaining; NYS Teacher Tenure Disciplinary Panel; NJ State Board of Mediation; NJ PERC Arbitration Panel; NJ PERC Special Disciplinary Arbitration Panel; NY and NJ Port Authority Employment Relations Panel; Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation; Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. 

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Permanent Panels:

MLB Salary Arbitration Panel; Writer’s Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers; UPS & Teamsters Joint Area Labor Management Grievance Committee Panel; NewsGuild of New York Arbitration Panel; United Steelworkers Local 9265 and PEF Panel; Columbia University, City of New York & Student Workers of Columbia, UAW Local 2710; NYS and NYS Public Employees Federation (“PEF”) Disciplinary Arbitration Panel; NYS and PEF Select Panel of Disciplinary Arbitration Panel, New York State and United University Professions; 1199 Internal Staff Disciplinary Arbitration Panel; NYSUT and Tuxedo UFSD Panel; West Hampton Free Library and Library Staff Association Panel. She also serves as a permanent arbitrator in various industries, including education and health care.

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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 for Registered Nurses from 1990 to 1993, Melinda gained valuable insight into contract construction and the bargaining process. While at the 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 has appeared in numerous State and Federal 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.

From 2013 to 2024, Melinda taught Arbitration, Public and Private Sector Labor, and Employment Law classes at the City University of New York. She graduated from Rutgers College, Rutgers University, in 1983, majoring in history and labor studies. In 1986, she received her law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

  

 

    

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