Elliot Bredhoff, 83; Legal Advocate for Labor

Elliot Bredhoff, who for decades was one of the nation’s leading labor lawyers, died Tuesday at his home in Chevy Chase, Md., of complications from surgery for a heart valve replacement. He was 83.

As a partner in the firm Bredhoff & Kaiser, Bredhoff represented many nationally known unions. He was special counsel to the United Steelworkers of America from 1965 to 1991. For nearly 30 years, he also was general counsel to the Industrial Union Department of the AFL-CIO.

He often appeared before the Supreme Court and appellate courts as a leading authority on labor law, constitutional law and civil rights issues. Three times in the 1980s, the National Law Journal named him one of the 100 most influential U.S. lawyers.

“He was known for advancing the cause of labor in a very calm, cool and collected manner,” said George Cohen, a longtime colleague at Bredhoff & Kaiser.

In 1960, Bredhoff and his partners argued a set of three cases before the Supreme Court -- all brought on behalf of the United Steelworkers -- that became known as the Steelworkers trilogy. The cases laid the foundation for the modern private labor arbitration system by requiring federal courts to favor the arbitration process in grievances between labor and management.

For many years, Bredhoff advised unions on contract negotiations, benefits and arbitration. He was counsel for the National Industrial Group Pension Plan. From 1973 to 1993, he served on the Foreign Service Grievance Board of the State Department.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, he represented the United Steelworkers in negotiating collective bargaining agreements with steel companies.

“He was recognized as a premier negotiator,” Cohen said. “He was an expert on benefits, health and welfare. Elliot was an instrumental force in all those negotiations.”

Bredhoff was born in New York City and graduated from City College of New York. He was a communications officer with the Army Air Forces during World War II.

In 1949, he graduated from Yale Law School, where he was editor of the law journal. After coming to Washington, he was assistant general counsel to the Congress of Industrial Organizations, working for Arthur J. Goldberg, who later became a Supreme Court justice.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Louise; two children; and three grandsons.