Melissa Vantrease Email & Phone Number

Universal City, Ca, Us

Universal City, Ca

Responsible for leading the labor and employment functions, strategies and teams for domestic and international theme parks.

Provide labor relations advice and support across film, cable, new media and broadcast television production businesses and networks. Develop and support execution of labor strategies across businesses. Interpret, advise and handle grievances on above-the-line and below-the-line guild agreements across all forms of programming. Negotiate labor agreements and represent signatory producers in multi-employer (AMPTP) bargaining in US and Canada. 2005 - 2014: Led labor relations function and strategy for Universal Studios Hollywood. Responsible for the negotiation, administration and enforcement of thirteen labor agreements with seven labor unions covering more than 3000 employees, including Teamsters, IBEW, LIUNA, UNITEHERE, AGVA, IATSE. First chaired all negotiations and arbitrations. Managed department in providing advice and training to management and human resources, grievance handling, and issue resolution. Provided strategic legal labor advice.

Handled all facts of the litigation process in labor and employment disputes, including, defending employers against charges of race, age, national origin, medical condition discrimination, failure to accommodate for disability and sexual harassment, among others, and counseled employers regarding their rights and duties based on state and federal law. Represented the interests of employers in traditional labor law disuptes before the National Labor Relations Board in connection with questions of union representation and unfair labor practice charges as well as in arbitration of grievances.

Juris Doctor

Activities and Societies: cum laude; Georgetown International Environmental Law Review - Editor

Ba, International Relations - Political Science

Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa; magna cum laude; college honors