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LOCKER ASSOCIATES

Locker Associates specializes in strategic research, financial analysis and comprehensive planning to help clients navigate difficult business situations. We bring to our clients a deep understanding of how businesses and industries work. We helped countless industrial and private-sector unions deal with deindustrialization to preserve work by managing difficult change, as well as founding employee-owned firms.

Locker Associates has served as the investment advisor to employees during the establishment of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). And we’ve provided in-depth analyses of companies and markets for more than 100 strategic campaigns.

Over the last 40 years we have directed more than 250 strategic efforts in support of organizing, bargaining, plant closure aversions and other initiatives spanning the construction, transportation, distribution, manufacturing, service and public sectors.

OUR SERVICES

Our combination of strategic acumen and financial and business expertise makes us uniquely qualified to serve clients by:

— conducting in-depth forensic research of industries and businesses, identifying sources of leverage and helping clients design powerful campaigns for a myriad of causes;

— representing clients as an expert witness across a vast majority of industries, including all major metals (steel & steel-related, aluminum, copper & iron), manufacturing, warehousing, trucking, manufacturing and many others;

— strategic planning and workplace reorganization of businesses in bankruptcy;

— facilitating ownership transitions to secure the long-term viability of a business;

— leading joint labor/management business improvement initiatives;

— preparing comprehensive campaign plans for community-based groups seeking to use leverage to organize for progressive change.

Michael Locker

Michael Locker is founder and President of Locker Associates, Inc., a NYC-based business consulting firm that specializes in corporate restructuring, expert witness testimony, buyouts, feasibility studies, developing business plans and performing due diligence. As a recognized authority on reorganizing troubled companies, Mr. Locker often representing employees in such efforts.

Major clients have included trade unions (United Steelworkers, Machinists, United Auto Workers and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters), financial institutions (Bank of Boston, Lazard Freres, Congress Financial, Santander Investment), law firms, bankruptcy trustees and government agencies.

Mr. Locker has also acted as an expert witness in various court proceedings, including testifying before the U.S. Congress.

Robert Howlett

Robert Howlett is an Associate with over twenty five years of labor-related experience. Since joining Locker Associates in 1998, Mr. Howlett has worked on projects related to the competitive prospects of companies in many industries, including construction, warehousing and transportation.

Mr. Howlett has worked on projects involving trucking for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, as well as an organizing campaign in Atlantic City for the American Federation of Musicians. His work on these projects has included extensive industry research, market analysis, labor and management interviews and development of reports and presentations.

Our Services

Locker Associates is a New York City based business-consulting firm that specializes in enhancing the competitiveness of businesses and industries on behalf of union, government and corporate clients. By combining expert business and financial analysis with a sensitivity to labor issues, our firm is uniquely qualified to help clients manage change.

LABOR/MANAGEMENT

Leading joint labor-management business improvement initiatives

STRATEGIC INDUSTRY STUDIES

Conducting strategic industry studies to identify future challenges and opportunities

CORPORATE CAMPAIGNS

Representing unions in strategic planning for campaigns

BUSINESS PLANNING

Formulating business plans for turnaround situations

OWNERSHIP TRANSITION

Facilitating ownership transitions to secure the long-term viability of a business

Over the last 30 years, our firm has directed over 300 projects spanning manufacturing, transportation, distribution and mining industries. Typical projects involve in-depth analysis of a firm’s market, financial and operating performance on behalf of a cooperative labor-management effort.

Our Projects

United Auto Workers (UAW) (2024): presented a report on special bar quality (SBQ) steel industry, including prices, shipments, employment and latest developments, as well as the financial and competitive condition of U.S. and foreign SBQ steelmakers

Association for Delivery Drivers (A4DD) (2023-2024): provided strategic consulting services to increase membership by mapping the independent delivery driver industry and recruiting new firms

Center for Migration Studies (CMS) (2019-2023): through extensive interviews, CMS and Locker Associates performed a comprehensive study of immigrants in the construction industry in NYC to shed light on working conditions and how they connect to their co-workers (both immigrant and non-immigrant) in their workplaces and communities

Unite the Union (2020-2022): retained to perform strategic research on corporations on a tight deadline basis to support Unite’s efforts to avoid conflict and to help secure labor agreements

International Union of Electrical Workers (IUE) (2021-2022): research two General Electric plants, Lynn, MA & Schenectady, NY (the original GE manufacturing facility) to assist the IUE in finding ways to save jobs at the two plants

Workers United (2020): assist in researching the Michigan, Illinois and Colorado cannabis industry to learn more about the regulatory environment, the industry’s structure and the dynamics of growing legal cannabis

Blue Planet (2020-present): tasked with introduction to Local and International unions to the company which specializes in green technology and environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes

Workers Equity (2021-2022): retained by Workers Equity to research semi-conductor maker On-Semi on behalf of the International Union of Electrical Workers

Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers (2010-2020): strategic industry research and on-going advisement on major industry trends and companies to help enhance the competitive position of the unionized NYC construction industry

Painters & Allied Trades District Council 9 (2018): research and analysis of major New York City interior contractors to support union organizing efforts

New York Professional Nurses (2018): strategic research and analysis of a New York City hospital (and its regional parent health system) in support of NYPNU’s contract negotiations

Building Trades Council of Westchester and Putnam Counties (2017-2023): provided in-depth research and analysis of current and future residential construction projects in Westchester and Putnam Counties to support the BCTC’s efforts to secure work for their members

Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund (2016-present): research to determine if elevator and escalator injuries and deaths declined after states implemented legislation that strengthens safety specs for construction and/or maintenance of elevators and escalators

New Jersey Advisory Council on Safety and Health (NJCOSH) (2016-present): restructure membership database from a traditional computer-based tracking method to a well-organized web-based system to efficiently track dues, collection of PAC donations and retain members

MyChange-Business Plan (2017-present): negotiated a deal to purchase a web-based start-up company that was developed to help donors support their favorite charities by rounding-up electronic purchases which creates “virtual spare change” that can be easily donated

Build Up NYC (BUNYC)-Strategic Research (2012-2016): directing research efforts for an NYC multi-industry union coalition, composed of Building Trades, Hotel Trades and SEIU 32BJ which promotes responsible real estate development

Communication Workers of America (CWA)-Franchise (2015-2017): research and analysis on cable franchise agreements to determine the feasibility of including labor standards

Worker’s United/SEIU (2014): prepared and presented a detailed study on distribution and warehousing in the apparel industry, including profiles of several major apparel retailers

Communication Workers of America (CWA)-Cablevision (2012-2015): develop campaign material, including a Wall Street analyst presentation to support contract negotiations

United Auto Workers-Steel Industry Presentation (2013): presented status report to the UAW Steel Council composed of local union representatives from steel-related firms