Robert Linn was appointed Commissioner of the New York City Office of Labor Relations (OLR) in January 2014, when over 380,000 City employees had been without settled labor agreements for many years. The OLR and the city's labor unions concluded nine and seven year agreements and developed innovative approaches to issues affecting labor and management. All city labor contracts were resolved and the city then went on to negotiate a second round of agreements with over 200,000 of its employees.
In addition to negotiating labor agreements on behalf of the Mayor and administering the city's health care program, OLR serves as a resource to agencies on workforce labor issues.
Linn retired as Commissioner in February 2019.
Before he was Labor Commissioner, Linn was President of Linn & Logan Consulting, Inc., which provided consulting services in labor negotiations, arbitrations, health benefit cost containment, productivity initiatives and on broad human resource issues critical to workforce effectiveness. His clients included cities, authorities, hospitals, colleges and universities, and other public and private employers.
Before starting Linn & Logan Consulting, Inc., Linn was Vice President and National Director of the Labor/Management Relations Practice at Hay Management Consultants.
Prior to joining Hay, Linn served as New York City's Chief Labor Negotiator in collective bargaining affecting 300,000 employees in over 100 bargaining units, including police, fire, teachers, CUNY professors, nurses and other health care workers. Linn was responsible for negotiating and administering New York City's $750 million health plan covering one million participants. He served simultaneously as the City's Personnel Director, overseeing civil service, equal employment opportunity, recruitment, employee benefits, training, and development.
Linn has also held various positions practicing law, first at the law firm of Skadden Arps, and then at the National Labor Relations Board, and then with the City of New York.