Labor Relations Manager

Metro Supply Chain Holdings USA Inc•Middletown, OH

34d

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Labor Relations Manager to provide strategic leadership in a dynamic, unionized environment. This role is central to shaping productive labour partnerships and ensuring alignment between organizational objectives and employee relations practices. You will lead complex collective bargaining initiatives, guide grievance management, and resolve escalations with a balanced, solutions-focused approach. Leveraging strong negotiation and influencing skills, you will drive sustainable outcomes that support both the business and workforce. You will also play a critical role in ensuring compliance with labour legislation and collective agreements, while providing expert counsel on risk mitigation, policy interpretation, and best practices in employee and union relations. Experience in a fast-paced distribution or manufacturing environment is required.

Requirements

Experience in a fast-paced distribution or manufacturing environment is required.
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field.
7–10 years of progressive HR or Labor Relations experience, with demonstrated expertise managing complex workplace matters and advising leaders on sensitive issues.

Nice To Haves

Professional HR certification such as CHRP/CHRL/SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP considered an asset.

Responsibilities

Lead, coordinate, and document complex internal investigations involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, code‑of‑conduct concerns, and policy violations, ensuring thoroughness, neutrality, and legal compliance.
Serve as an impartial facilitator to resolve interpersonal conflicts and manager–employee disputes, using mediation techniques that promote fairness and restore productive working relationships.
Partner with leaders to develop effective Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), coach them on delivering difficult feedback, and ensure performance processes are applied consistently and respectfully.
Advise leaders on progressive discipline and oversee involuntary termination processes to ensure decisions are legally defensible, aligned with company values, and handled with professionalism and dignity.
Analyze employee relations data, patterns, and root causes (e.g., turnover, recurring issues, departmental trends) to identify organizational “hot spots” and recommend targeted training, policy updates, or cultural interventions.
Act as the subject matter expert on company policies and the Employee Handbook, ensuring consistent application across departments and reducing risk related to perceived favoritism or inequitable treatment.
Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of federal, state/provincial, and local labor laws—including regulations related to wrongful termination, whistleblower protections, accommodation requirements, and collective activity—to guide decisions and mitigate organizational risk.
Provide guidance and confidence-building support to leaders on people‑management practices, helping them navigate sensitive or complex situations with empathy, clarity, and accountability.
Evaluate workforce-related risks during reorganizations, leadership transitions, and cultural shifts, ensuring communication plans, timelines, and decisions support compliance and employee well-being.
Produce clear, accurate, and defensible documentation for investigations, disciplinary actions, and employment decisions, ensuring readiness for audits, regulatory inquiries, or legal review.
Cultivate trusted, collaborative relationships with HR partners, employees, and leaders at all levels to strengthen organizational culture and improve employee experience.
Promote a respectful, inclusive, and psychologically safe workplace by identifying culture barriers and partnering with leadership to implement improvement initiatives.