Richard Mittenthal Audio-Visual Materials

Richard Mittenthal (1926-2016) was an arbitrator of labor - management disputes for almost his entire 58 year career. He served as an umpire, or "permanent" arbitrator, in a variety of industries such as basic steel, automobiles, construction equipment, auto parts, brewing, and shipbuilding. Mr. Mittenthal also served as neutral chairman of interest arbitration boards to resolve national disputes involving the railroads and the postal service and was a member of the Foreign Service Grievance Board. He is a past president of the National Academy of Arbitrators (1978-1979), a past president of the Detroit Chapter of the Industrial Relations Research Association (1976-1977; now the Labor and Employment Relations Association), and an honorary fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. A former adjunct professor at both Wayne State University and the University of Michigan Law Schools, Mr. Mittenthal has written extensively about labor-management arbitration. He wrote many papers on the craft of arbitration, including an often cited article on past practice. He received a lifetime achievement award from the Michigan Bar in 2015. Raised in New York City, he graduated from Cornell University with a BS in chemistry. While at Cornell, he took classes at the Industrial and Labor Relations School. One was in labor history with Professor Neufeld, and another was on the constitution and civil rights with Professor Konvitz. After spending a few years working as a chemist after graduating, Mr. Mittenthal decided to take advantage of his eligibility under the G.I. Bill and attended law school at New York University. He received his J.D. in 1951 and entered labor law. He and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he resided and practiced law.