Employee/Labor Relations Specialist

UNC Dairy•Town of Lawrence, NY

1d•$80,000 - $95,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Employee/Labor Relations Specialist serves as a trusted advisor and hands on partner to plant leadership, HR, and union representatives across a 24/7/365 manufacturing environment. This role leads the administration of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), supports bargaining strategy and negotiations, resolves grievances and arbitrations, and advances a productive employee relations climate that improves safety, quality, delivery, and cost. The ideal candidate brings strong contract interpretation skills, credibility on the shop floor, conflict resolution skills, and a data driven approach to decision making.

Requirements

4–6 years of progressive experience in labor/employee relations within unionized manufacturing (multishift, high volume).
Demonstrated experience with CBA administration, grievance handling, and participation in collective bargaining.
Strong knowledge of NLRA/NLRB processes, workplace investigations, and just cause standards.
Proven ability to earn credibility with hourly employees and front-line leaders; effective conflict resolution and facilitation skills.
Analytical skills for costing proposals, calculating remedies/back pay, and using data to influence decisions.
Excellent written/oral communication; ability to produce clear summaries, settlement documents, and hearing briefs.
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Industrial/Labor Relations, Business, or related field; or equivalent experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience across multiple union environments and/or multisite responsibility.
Exposure to interest-based/problem-solving approaches and continuous improvement (Lean/TPM).
Experience participating in arbitrations (preparation and/or presenting).
Advanced degree (e.g., MSILR, JD) or HR certifications (e.g., SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR).
Bilingual (e.g., Spanish/English) a plus.

Responsibilities

CBA Administration & Contract Interpretation
Serve as primary point of contact for day-to-day labor relations at assigned site; interpret and apply CBA in a high-volume manufacturing setting.
Advise managers and HR on discipline, attendance, overtime, seniority, job bidding, rates, and scheduling consistent with the CBA and company policy.
Maintain clause libraries, side letters, and past practice documentation; ensure consistent application across shifts and departments.
Grievances, Investigations & Arbitration
Lead end-to-end grievance management: intake, investigation, evidence collection, position statements, settlement strategies, and step meetings through arbitration as needed.
Prepare arbitration files and coordinate outside counsel/advocates; testify and/or serve as second chair in hearings.
Track metrics (volume, cycle time, root cause, settlement outcomes) and drive corrective actions to reduce recurrence.
Bargaining & Union Engagement
Support bargaining strategy (economic costing, language proposals, strike readiness, contingency planning).
Participate in negotiations and/or serve as chief negotiator for small to medium tables; document tentative agreements and ensure timely implementation.
Build constructive relationships with union leadership to address issues early and enable operational outcomes.
Compliance, Policy & Risk Management
Ensure compliance with NLRA/NLRB guidance, wage/hour, EEO/AA, OSHA, state/local laws; escalate risk and partner with Legal on complex matters.
Conduct training for frontline leaders on just cause, Weingarten, investigatory interviews, and documentation.
Support due diligence and integration for site expansions, reorganizations, and technology change impacting represented employees.
Culture, Change & Continuous Improvement
Partner with operations and legal counsel to improve attendance, productivity, quality, and safety through incentive plans, job design, and fair work rules.
Facilitate problem-solving (interest-based bargaining where appropriate), Kaizen events, and cross functional root cause analysis to reduce disputes.
Leverage data to identify trends and recommend policy/process improvements.
Data, Systems & Reporting
Maintain accurate case records and CBA repositories; leverage HRIS (e.g., UKG/SAP), case management, and Microsoft 365 for reporting.
Publish monthly dashboards: grievance trends, arbitration backlog, time-to-close, training completion, and financial impact of settlements.
Onboarding & Employee Support
Conduct new hire orientation and onboarding programs.
Educate employees on company policies, procedures, and union-related matters.
Assist employees with benefits enrollment and general HR inquiries.
Records Management
Maintain accurate physical and digital employee files, including benefits and attendance records.
Utilize UltiPro Time & Labor Management system for attendance tracking and recordkeeping.
Support processing of union dues and maintain accurate records for union membership.
Leave Administration
Support administration of employee leaves, including FMLA and other statutory requirements.
Ensure proper documentation and compliance with applicable laws.
Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning
Partner with managers to recruit, interview, and hire qualified candidates.
Support workforce planning and succession planning initiatives.