43rd Lou Manchise Labor-Management Conference focuses on labor-management collaboration

April 15, 2026 — The annual Lou Manchise Labor-Management Conference returns to Northern Kentucky University for its 43^rd year on Friday, May 15. Hosted by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Center in NKU’s Haile College of Business, this year’s theme, Turning Conflict into Cooperative Progress: Advancing Labor-Management Partnerships, will bring together business and community leaders to explore strategies for stronger workplace collaboration.

What: 43^rd Annual Lou Manchise Labor-Management Conference

When: Friday, May 15, 2026, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Where: James C. and Rachel M. Votruba Student Union, NKU campus

The annual conference focuses on workplace issues that are timely and relevant to labor and management professionals across the region. Some of the topics covered in this year’s breakout sessions include recent NLRB decisions, workplace flexibility and fairness, interest-based bargaining and emotional intelligence.

Morning keynote speakers Neidra Kennedy, president and chief steward of AFSCME Local 1768, and Kelly Winston, employee and labor relations manager for Hamilton County, will present Beyond Positions to Progress: a New Era of Labor-Management Collaboration. Afternoon keynote speaker Lee Crume, president and CEO of BE NKY Growth Partnership, will present Communication, Trust and Collaboration: Critical Leadership Skills in Economic Development.

“For more than four decades, the Lou Manchise Labor-Management Conference has brought labor and management leaders together to address workplace challenges through practical dialogue and shared learning,” said Kathleen Carnes, director of NKU’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Center. “This year’s focus on turning conflict into progress reflects the kind of collaboration organizations need to build stronger workplaces and stronger communities.”

Registration information is available on the conference webpage.