Director - Labor Relations - E99944

About the role

The Director of Labor Relations manages a comprehensive labor relations program for Eastern Washington University, coordinating and participating in collective bargaining with campus unions including the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE), Public School Employees (PSE), Police Guild (Guild), and United Faculty of Eastern (UFE). The role provides employee performance management advice, manages disciplinary, grievance, and arbitration processes, and offers guidance and training on labor and policy topics for employees and supervisors. The Director also tracks and responds to union information requests, public records requests, bargaining demands, mandatory subjects notices, unfair labor practice filings, and union–management committee meetings. The position establishes and maintains productive relationships with union representatives to resolve disputes at the lowest possible level.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and participate in collective bargaining with WFSE, PSE, Guild, and UFE.
• Provide employee performance management advice to supervisors.
• Manage disciplinary, grievance, and arbitration processes.
• Deliver guidance and training on labor and policy-related topics for all employee groups and supervisors.
• Track and respond to union information requests and public records requests.
• Manage demands to bargain, mandatory subjects notices, unfair labor practice filings, and union–management committee meetings.
• Establish and maintain productive relationships with key union representatives.
• Resolve disputes at the lowest possible level.

Qualifications

• Any combination of nine (9) total years of experience in labor relations, human resources, business or public administration, with an emphasis on labor relations, preferably in public organizations and/or institutions of higher education.
• Progressively responsible experience including:
  • Labor contract negotiation, administration, and strategies
  • Interpretation and management of grievances and other union-related issues
  • Arbitration and progressive discipline processes
  • Labor and employee relations principles and practices
• Ability to apply appropriate research methods, data collection and analysis
• Ability to review, understand, and explain relevant federal, state, and local employee relations laws, rules and regulations, collective bargaining agreements, and university policies
• Compliance with records retention and management requirements
• Advise the university on labor relations matters with accuracy and thoroughness
• Effectively multi-task and work in a demanding environment with quick deadlines
• Develop and facilitate training
• Maintain confidentiality
• Establish and maintain complex and effective working relationships across the university and with union counterparts
• Stay current on legal decisions and changes impacting labor relations
• Collaborate closely with Human Resources colleagues to ensure labor relations strategies are informed by organizational and operational impacts
• Consult proactively with HR team members on implications for compensation, benefits, classification, recruitment and retention, employee relations, policies and procedures, HR operations, and workforce management
• Incorporate HR expertise into labor relations strategies to promote consistency, assess risk, and support institutional decision-making
• Maintain open and timely communication with HR leadership on significant labor relations matters
• Maintain thorough, accurate, timely, and well-organized documentation of labor relations activities

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in human resources, business, or public administration
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification
• Master’s degree in human resources, labor relations, business or public administration, or related field
• Higher education experience in Human Resources or Labor Relations

Pay

The salary range for this position is $120,331 – $125,000, with the starting salary dependent on education, experience, and skills.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance and disability insurance
• Retirement benefits
• Generous vacation and sick leave accruals
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Tuition waiver for employees and eligible family members
• Discounted EWU sports tickets
• Access to campus workout facilities at a minimum fee
• Free transportation via STA buses