Foley Hoag LLP Partner Jim Bucking was honored with the 2023 Cushing-Gavin Attorney Award by The Boston Labor Guild. Cushing-Gavin is the preeminent recognition for Boston-area labor relations attorneys, and is presented annually to lawyers representing either unions or employers for lifelong service in labor-management affairs. The three pillars of the award are professional excellence, moral integrity, and concern for the community.
The Labor Guild is a worker-focused educational, leadership and community organization dedicated to promoting the dignity of the individual as the cornerstone of a socially just economic system. It recognizes the essential role and vital contributions of enlightened employers in creating equitable workplaces, and the importance of principled collective bargaining.
"I am grateful to the Labor Guild for this honor and for the terrific services it provides to improve workplaces in Massachusetts," said Bucking. "It is fitting that an organization whose purpose is to advance the value and dignity of work appreciates that economic opportunity, competitiveness, and the needs of the business community are indispensable."
Bucking is a nationally recognized leader in the labor and employment bar. In senior roles with the ABA's Labor & Employment Section, he has worked closely with the NLRB's General Counsel and Board members over the past two decades.
Bucking has been active in the country's energy transition, helping offshore wind developers navigate the complexities of labor relations in the formation of an American clean energy workforce. This included bargaining the nation's first offshore wind project labor agreement with the Massachusetts Building Trades Council. His law practice focuses on collective bargaining and litigating labor disputes before arbitrators, state and federal agencies, and courts.
In 2022, Bucking was elected to Foley Hoag's Executive Committee and currently serves as Managing Partner of the firm.
"Jim has long dedicated his practice to serving the labor-management community and provided valuable leadership to our Labor and Employment team," said Allison Anderson, co-chair of the Labor and Employment practice. "His commitment to clients and respect for labor has resulted in hundreds of successful labor contracts with meaningful improvements for companies and their workers. Jim is the advocate you'd want by your side. This honor is well deserved."