Joshua D. Kienitz represents and counsels management in all aspects of labor and employment law. He has substantial experience in defending California wage and hour class and Private Attorneys’ General Act (PAGA) actions. He represents hospitals, utilities, public employers, construction employers, retail and technology companies in California wage and hour actions. Among his notable successes, Josh obtained favorable outcomes in a class action trial involving a wage and hour commute time issue and a California Court of Appeal decision favorably construing the Labor Code meal period/collective bargaining agreement exemption available in certain industries.
Josh represents clients in single- or multi-plaintiff litigation in California state and federal courts, in a range of cases, including those involving alleged discrimination, harassment or retaliation based on race, gender, disability, national origin, religion and whistleblower status.
Josh also has an active labor relations practice. He has handled many arbitrations under a collective bargaining agreement, administrative charges at the National Labor Relations Board and the Public Employment Relations Board, and has served as chief negotiator for many contracts (including first contracts and successor agreements). Josh has substantial experience with many unions, including the California Nurses Association, the California Federation of Teacher, the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers (IBEW), the Teamsters, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW). He has substantial experience in current employer-employee relations practices, trends and major problems, principles of labor negotiations, applicable federal and state labor laws, public and private sector labor practices, and negotiated employee benefit programs.
Josh began his legal career with Littler in 2006 after serving as a summer associate in 2005.