Collective Bargaining & Employer Relations Specialist

SEIU 775•Seattle, WA

About The Position

The Collective Bargaining & Employer Relations Specialist (CBER) works on a team within SEIU 775’s Union Strength Department and reports to the Collective Bargaining and Employer Relations Deputy Director. The role supports union members and leaders across Washington, Montana, and Alaska, with a focus on workplace dispute resolution, collective bargaining, and labor-management relations in the long-term care industry. The specialist evaluates, prepares, tracks, and resolves grievances; helps members develop leadership skills; and recruits and develops member leaders to serve as advocates, join bargaining teams, and participate in Labor Management Committees. The role analyzes working conditions and employer practices, develops bargaining priorities and contract language, negotiates union contracts and related agreements, and supports contract campaigns. It also helps coordinate an industry-wide Labor Management Committee program focused on communication and culture change. Additional assignments may include political, electoral, and growth mobilization work, candidate-related political work, and member political education. The position is full-time and exempt, included in the bargaining unit, and pays $87,633–$104,729 per year. It requires frequent travel across Washington, Montana, and Alaska, including overnight travel, and may involve long, irregular hours, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Requirements

At least two years of experience successfully evaluating, preparing, tracking, and resolving grievances in a large bargaining unit, or equivalent.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Highly organized, with the ability to track multiple deadlines.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to use databases and learn the organization’s proprietary database.
Strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills, including the ability to independently address complex workplace disputes and develop settlement strategies.
Strong personal planning and time-management skills.
Ability to work with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment.
Personal commitment to the mission and goals of SEIU 775.
Valid driver’s license, a car, and automobile insurance.
Willingness to work long, irregular hours, including evenings and weekends.
Willingness to travel, including overnight travel.
Ability to travel by car, plane, or other transportation and navigate workplace and community settings across multiple states.
Ability to meet physical demands that include extended sitting, standing, speaking, and use of standard office equipment, and occasional lifting and carrying of materials up to 25 pounds and setting up meeting spaces.

Nice To Haves

Fluency in a second language.
Previous collective bargaining experience.
Experience with Labor Management Committees or similar joint employer-union organizations.
Experience with mediation or arbitration.
Understanding of the long-term care industry.
Experience with labor unions, progressive issue advocacy organizations, long-term care, community organizations, political campaigns, or elected officials is considered highly significant.

Responsibilities

Lead the workplace dispute resolution process by evaluating, preparing, tracking, and resolving grievances for assigned bargaining units.
Support other union departments and teams as needed and help members and leaders develop relevant leadership skills.
Recruit and develop member leaders to serve as member Advocates in nursing homes and home care agencies.
Analyze working conditions and employer practices to develop bargaining priorities and prepare contract language.
Negotiate union contracts, memoranda of understanding, and grievance settlements for a large home care agency.
Recruit and develop member leaders to participate on contract negotiation teams.
Coordinate contract negotiations and contract campaigns.
Participate in coordinating and facilitating an industry-wide Labor Management Committee program focused on communication and culture change in long-term care.
Engage in other Employer Relations work as assigned.
Recruit and develop member leaders to participate in Labor Management Committees.
Take assignments in political, electoral, and growth mobilization as required by the organization.
Perform political work for candidates and member political education as part of job duties when required.
Perform other duties as assigned.