Contact Information
Phone Number:
608.262.0593
Email Address:
neill.declercq@uwex.edu
"Most days I think doing labor education is the best job in the world. Its a two-way educational experience: I probably learn as much from my students as they learn from me. We work together to understand the issues at work and then apply what we learn to solve their problems. This interactive learning keeps the job interesting, challenging, exciting and rewarding."
Since 1975, Neill DeClercq has been associated with the School for Workers. He started as a research assistant working on an OSHA grant after working for the National AFL-CIO. Upon completing his Law Degree in 1979, he joined the faculty and has been doing labor education ever since. During that time he has provided education and consultation to workers and unions on a wide range of topics with special emphasis on labor and employment law, workers compensation law, ergonomics and OSHA, arbitration, grievance handling, job evaluation issues, and labor-management facilitation.
Besides teaching at the School for Workers, Neill taught courses and served many years as a participating faculty member in the Industrial Relations Research Institute.
His major teaching and research areas concentrate on the following:
- Labor and Employment Law - topics range from traditional labor law to discrimination laws most notably disabilities and sex discrimination, and family/medical leave law.
- Workers Compensation Law - in addition to the annual WC Institute he has run each year since 1979, he provides short courses and consultation about compensation for work injuries and he advises the labor representatives to the Wisconsin Workers Compensation Advisory Council and has served on numerous commissions related to WC.
- Ergonomics and Occupational Safety and Health - he began his career with School for Workers as a Project Assistant on a national OSHA worker training grant. Over the years he has directed an OSHA grant to develop MSDS training; served as an expert witness in ergonomics grievance/arbitration; and worked on safety and ergonomics projects in the health care, communications, airlines, and warehouse industries.
- Job Evaluation since 1992 he has taught and provided consultation for unions using job evaluation as a method of compensation. Many of these activities have been conducted jointly with unions and employers. He has also served as an expert witness for unions in evaluation disputes.
- Labor-Management Facilitation - since the early 1990s he has worked with numerous unions and labor-management groups to facilitate their activities and assist in contract bargaining.
Education
In addition to a degree from U.W. Law School, Neill has a Masters degree from the Industrial Relations Research Institute at U.W.-Madison and a BA in economics from University of California - Berkeley.