Dan A.Swedlow
Partner
Labor & Employment
dswedlow@seyfarth.com
Drawing on his experience on both sides of the labor-management table, Dan helps employers navigate their often complex relationships with unions.
More About Dan
Employers in both the public and private sector rely on Dan to advise them in the development and implementation of effective collective bargaining strategies. He serves as lead negotiator across a wide range of industries and has extensive history assisting clients in their relationships with organized labor including Teamsters, IAFF, FOP, UFCW, OPEIU, IBEW, IAM, SEIU, skilled trades, guilds and associations, and other unaffiliated homegrown unions.
Understanding the long-term relationship between labor and management is tantamount to Dan’s strategy when bargaining and he works to develop a strategic path toward mutual agreement. Dan is a highly skilled and experienced advocate and when agreement between employers and unions is not possible, Dan represents employers in grievance arbitrations, interest arbitrations, unfair labor practice hearings, representational disputes, and strikes.
Dan brings a unique perspective due to his experience on the other side of the table, previously serving as in-house counsel for the second largest Teamster local in the world and uses that inside knowledge regularly in his work with employers. He has also been in-house labor counsel for a major health care system, an experience that gives him insight into the priorities of businesses and how they approach the labor management relationship.
Understanding the long-term relationship between labor and management is tantamount to Dan’s strategy when bargaining and he works to develop a strategic path toward mutual agreement. Dan is a highly skilled and experienced advocate and when agreement between employers and unions is not possible, Dan represents employers in grievance arbitrations, interest arbitrations, unfair labor practice hearings, representational disputes, and strikes.
Dan brings a unique perspective due to his experience on the other side of the table, previously serving as in-house counsel for the second largest Teamster local in the world and uses that inside knowledge regularly in his work with employers. He has also been in-house labor counsel for a major health care system, an experience that gives him insight into the priorities of businesses and how they approach the labor management relationship.
- JD, University of Washington School of Law
- BA, University of California, Santa Cruz
- Washington
- US District Court, Western District of Washington
Related Services
Related Key Industries
- Successful negotiation of hundreds of collective bargaining agreements in a wide range of industries, including health care, retail, transportation and logistics, building and manufacturing, food and grocery, cannabis, nonprofit, law enforcement and corrections, and fire service.
- Managed coalition bargaining for a large municipal employer negotiating a master labor agreement with dozens of unions representing nearly 80 different bargaining units.
- Successful defense of management disciplinary and discharge decisions through grievance arbitration in situations involving insubordination, dishonesty, theft, threatening conduct, harassment, bullying, safety violations, and general job performance.
- Represented a social services provider with nearly 40 union staff members as the company transformed from a direct service provider to a pass-through agency with no union staff. After successfully defending the company through grievances, unfair labor practice charges, litigation, and political pressure, the union eventually disclaimed interest when the bargaining unit was reduced from 40 to one.
- Represents clients in the retail cannabis industry during organizing drives, unfair labor practice litigation, and collective bargaining.
- Represents a well-known — and previously nonunion — Seattle-area bookstore in complex contract negotiations with a highly public union that formed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Extensive experience as outside labor counsel for public sector unionized employers facing challenges in collective bargaining, labor arbitration, interest arbitration, unfair labor practice charges and the politics of police reform during turbulent political times.
- Represented the campaign of a US congressional candidate in negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, under which campaign organizer staff had been unionized; successfully negotiated terms that were fair to the employer while maintaining a collaborative, respectful relationship with management and labor.
- Represented national research laboratory in complex investigation and discipline of union leadership.
- Represented federal contractor employing nuclear guards in interest arbitration over wages.
- Represented cities, counties, fire districts and transit agencies throughout the Pacific Northwest in collective bargaining and interest arbitration with law enforcement, corrections, fire, and transit unions.
- Recognized in International Employment Lawyer Global Elite (2024)
- Chambers USA, Labor & Employment (2017-2018)
- Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference, conference planning committee
- Washington State Bar Association Labor and Employment Section, Executive Board Member and Treasurer (2012–2015)
- Cardozo Society of Washington State, Chairman Emeritus (March 2015–present)
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Presenter, “Positive Employee Relations When Facing a Union Campaign and Contract Negotiations,” The Cannabis Alliance (July 8, 2024)
-
Presenter, “Top 10 Things to Know About Unionization in Cannabis in Washington,” Washington Cannabusiness Association (May 30, 2024)
- Co-Presenter, “Legal, Protected, and Effective Conduct During a Strike: Is There a Duty of Loyalty,” Northwest Labor and Employment Relations Association 47th Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Conference (March 29, 2024)
- Co-Presenter, “Labor & Employment Update,” Washington State Society of Healthcare Attorneys, Fall Health Law Conference (November 3, 2023)
- Speaker, "The Many Faces of Bargaining," Northwest LERA 46th Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Conference (April 20, 2023)
Drawing on his experience on both sides of the labor-management table, Dan helps employers navigate their often complex relationships with unions.
More About Dan
Employers in both the public and private sector rely on Dan to advise them in the development and implementation of effective collective bargaining strategies. He serves as lead negotiator across a wide range of industries and has extensive history assisting clients in their relationships with organized labor including Teamsters, IAFF, FOP, UFCW, OPEIU, IBEW, IAM, SEIU, skilled trades, guilds and associations, and other unaffiliated homegrown unions.
Understanding the long-term relationship between labor and management is tantamount to Dan’s strategy when bargaining and he works to develop a strategic path toward mutual agreement. Dan is a highly skilled and experienced advocate and when agreement between employers and unions is not possible, Dan represents employers in grievance arbitrations, interest arbitrations, unfair labor practice hearings, representational disputes, and strikes.
Dan brings a unique perspective due to his experience on the other side of the table, previously serving as in-house counsel for the second largest Teamster local in the world and uses that inside knowledge regularly in his work with employers. He has also been in-house labor counsel for a major health care system, an experience that gives him insight into the priorities of businesses and how they approach the labor management relationship.
Understanding the long-term relationship between labor and management is tantamount to Dan’s strategy when bargaining and he works to develop a strategic path toward mutual agreement. Dan is a highly skilled and experienced advocate and when agreement between employers and unions is not possible, Dan represents employers in grievance arbitrations, interest arbitrations, unfair labor practice hearings, representational disputes, and strikes.
Dan brings a unique perspective due to his experience on the other side of the table, previously serving as in-house counsel for the second largest Teamster local in the world and uses that inside knowledge regularly in his work with employers. He has also been in-house labor counsel for a major health care system, an experience that gives him insight into the priorities of businesses and how they approach the labor management relationship.
- JD, University of Washington School of Law
- BA, University of California, Santa Cruz
- Washington
- US District Court, Western District of Washington
Related Services
Related Key Industries
- Successful negotiation of hundreds of collective bargaining agreements in a wide range of industries, including health care, retail, transportation and logistics, building and manufacturing, food and grocery, cannabis, nonprofit, law enforcement and corrections, and fire service.
- Managed coalition bargaining for a large municipal employer negotiating a master labor agreement with dozens of unions representing nearly 80 different bargaining units.
- Successful defense of management disciplinary and discharge decisions through grievance arbitration in situations involving insubordination, dishonesty, theft, threatening conduct, harassment, bullying, safety violations, and general job performance.
- Represented a social services provider with nearly 40 union staff members as the company transformed from a direct service provider to a pass-through agency with no union staff. After successfully defending the company through grievances, unfair labor practice charges, litigation, and political pressure, the union eventually disclaimed interest when the bargaining unit was reduced from 40 to one.
- Represents clients in the retail cannabis industry during organizing drives, unfair labor practice litigation, and collective bargaining.
- Represents a well-known — and previously nonunion — Seattle-area bookstore in complex contract negotiations with a highly public union that formed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Extensive experience as outside labor counsel for public sector unionized employers facing challenges in collective bargaining, labor arbitration, interest arbitration, unfair labor practice charges and the politics of police reform during turbulent political times.
- Represented the campaign of a US congressional candidate in negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, under which campaign organizer staff had been unionized; successfully negotiated terms that were fair to the employer while maintaining a collaborative, respectful relationship with management and labor.
- Represented national research laboratory in complex investigation and discipline of union leadership.
- Represented federal contractor employing nuclear guards in interest arbitration over wages.
- Represented cities, counties, fire districts and transit agencies throughout the Pacific Northwest in collective bargaining and interest arbitration with law enforcement, corrections, fire, and transit unions.
- Recognized in International Employment Lawyer Global Elite (2024)
- Chambers USA, Labor & Employment (2017-2018)
- Pacific Coast Labor and Employment Law Conference, conference planning committee
- Washington State Bar Association Labor and Employment Section, Executive Board Member and Treasurer (2012–2015)
- Cardozo Society of Washington State, Chairman Emeritus (March 2015–present)
-
Presenter, “Positive Employee Relations When Facing a Union Campaign and Contract Negotiations,” The Cannabis Alliance (July 8, 2024)
-
Presenter, “Top 10 Things to Know About Unionization in Cannabis in Washington,” Washington Cannabusiness Association (May 30, 2024)
- Co-Presenter, “Legal, Protected, and Effective Conduct During a Strike: Is There a Duty of Loyalty,” Northwest Labor and Employment Relations Association 47th Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Conference (March 29, 2024)
- Co-Presenter, “Labor & Employment Update,” Washington State Society of Healthcare Attorneys, Fall Health Law Conference (November 3, 2023)
- Speaker, "The Many Faces of Bargaining," Northwest LERA 46th Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Conference (April 20, 2023)