Labor Relations Manager

Oregon Public Broadcasting•Portland, OR

2d•$99,000 - $110,000•Hybrid

About The Position

OPB is seeking an experienced labor relations professional to join the People & Culture Team. OPB takes bargaining with its two labor unions as seriously as it takes employee experience and understands that the two are intertwined. The ideal candidate for this role is as knowledgeable as they are relationship-driven, especially when it comes to contract negotiations and management. The collaborative nature of this role is absolutely critical. Strong candidates will have substantial experience in bargaining, and will lead with the mission-driven mindset that all teams at OPB keep central to their work. With OPB’s organizational values and strategic pillars as their guide, the Labor Relations Manager acts as the primary liaison between OPB and our unions (SEIU and SAG-AFTRA), managing collective bargaining agreements, grievances, and negotiations to support organizational priorities and ensure compliance with labor laws. They develop strategies for labor relations as they relate to employee relations, advise leadership on union matters, and foster positive labor-management collaboration. The Labor Relations Manager oversees documentation and systems to ensure compliance, track precedent and past practices. This position plays a crucial role in contributing to OPB’s overall mission by managing values driven labor relations that enable a collaborative and innovative workplace. Through consistent administration of collective bargaining agreements, thoughtful resolution of workplace issues, and partnership with leaders and people managers, this role helps ensure all employees are supported in doing their best work and feeling like they belong by strengthening the internal culture that allows OPB to serve its communities.

Requirements

Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Business, Labor Relations or related field or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities for this position.
A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in HR, Legal, or union organizing or a combination of these which includes labor relations experience, including administering collective bargaining agreements, handling grievances and participating in bargaining.
Extensive knowledge of collective bargaining processes and proven ability to navigate and manage union-employer relationships.
Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations that impact labor relations.
Experience working in a union environment.
Ability to understand and analyze data to compile information, prepare reports, and prioritize and perform complex tasks on multiple projects, and integrate data into comprehensive analysis to determine risk and recommend solutions and initiatives. Ability to look for the root cause of problems and identify achievable solutions.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing and in person across a wide range of situations from large/small, external/internal stakeholder group conversations to sensitive one-on-one discussions.
Demonstrated ability to bargain and communicate in a manner that is rooted in OPB’s values.
Skilled in distilling complex information into practical, accessible resources.
Ability to organize historic documentation to make it accessible for future use
Highly organized and able to develop sustainable systems to manage workload
Demonstrated proficiency working with database, spreadsheet, word processing and other software programs.
Willingness to share the work and share leadership.
Enthusiasm for the mission of OPB

Nice To Haves

8 years of progressive experience in either HR, Legal, or union organizing or combination of these which includes 5 years of labor relations experience, including administering collective bargaining agreements, handling grievances and participating in negotiations of collective bargaining.
HR certification such as SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, PHR, SPHR
Experience working in a journalism and/or media environment
Skilled in change management
Supervisory experience
Experience working in public media environment

Responsibilities

In partnership with outside counsel, manage all phases of and record-keeping for contract negotiations with OPB’s represented employees’ unions, ensuring that our contracts help OPB live into our organizational values and further OPB’s strategic pillars.
Partnering with legal counsel, lead collective bargaining negotiations including representing OPB management at the bargaining table. Draft proposals and counterproposals
Facilitate involvement of a caucus committee of managers and subject matter experts to inform proposals
In the unlikely event of arbitration or mediation, attend hearings and represent OPB’s interest in partnership with counsel.
Develop bargaining strategies that are aligned with OPB’s values and organizational priorities
Execute or facilitate up-to-date costing and budget impact estimates in collaboration with Finance and P&C Operations
Maintain negotiation documentation and OPB’s labor relations website
Responsible for preparing bargaining and labor relations updates for the Senior Leader Group (SLGs) and people managers
Ensure a proactive approach to bargaining and planning for upcoming bargaining cycle
Develop and maintain organized and accessible documentation and records for all labor relations activities. Create tracking mechanisms for all required union reporting and communication including enrollment forms, remittance procedures. Work collaboratively with other P&C and Operations staff members to comply with legal and organizational requirements.
Maintain end to end grievance process, including intake, investigation, and resolution, the latter is in partnership with Manager of Employee Experience and P&C leadership.
Track grievance trends and patterns and use data to inform proactive solutions
Track union requests for information. Work collaboratively with P&C staff and other departments to compile, organize and provide requested information in a timely manner. Answer day-to-day questions from managers, employees and other departments about contract interpretation, and related pay, benefits and OPB policy.
Compile and organize feedback and data to inform future labor relations strategy and initiatives during the life of contracts and at the bargaining table.
Lead the labor management committee (LMC) meetings and respond to action items resulting from those meetings
Partner closely with the Manager of People & Culture (P&C) and Employee Experience to align on employee relations work
Serve as the organization’s subject matter expert on labor relations, partnering with legal counsel where appropriate.
Support organization initiatives that intersect with labor relations. Build relationships with internal stakeholders. Develop and deliver training for leadership on labor relations practices
Work in close partnership with P&C leadership team on employee experience and labor strategy alignment. Support People & Culture staff in navigating complex labor-related matters
Work with the Employee Experience Manager to develop and deliver manager trainings. Coach managers on union contracts and provide guidance in partnership with the Manager of P&C and Employee Experience on handling performance issues in represented environments
Ensure compliance with federal, state and local labor laws as well as the collective bargaining agreements in place at OPB
Keep abreast of changes in labor law to inform any changes in policies or practices
Assist with year-round compliance activities, as workload allows.
Work in partnership with P&C leadership to craft labor-related policies, procedure and best practices. Participate in organization-wide policy initiatives, bringing a labor relations lens.