Labor & Employee Relations Specialist

Major Responsibilities

• Represents UMass Memorial Health Care in collective bargaining with every union representing Medical Center and member hospital employees within the system.
• Prepares for, conducts, and/or participates in contract negotiations and administers all provisions of the agreements.
• Prepares and presents contract proposals in consultation with appropriate management representatives.
• Interprets union-management agreements, administers all provisions of the agreements, and represents management in the negotiation and settlement of grievances under established grievance procedures.
• Consults with managers and makes recommendations regarding day-to-day issues as well as long and short-term labor relations strategy including settlement of labor disputes.
• Assists in the planning and organization of a program of employee and labor relations to build a positive work environment and prevent and mediate employee disputes and grievances.
• Provides formal and informal education to all levels of management regarding labor relations, contract interpretation and labor and employment law.
• Leads sensitive and confidential workplace investigations and drafts investigative reports, as appropriate.
• Contributes to a working environment that is conducive to labor management harmony through the implementation and maintenance of equitable policies and procedures and programs designed to allow for effective problem solving.
• Safeguards appropriate processing of arbitrations and leads preparation and oversight of outside legal counsel in arbitrations and mediations.
• Aids managers and others with the interpretation of personnel policies and procedures, legal and union contract compliance, grievance, discipline, termination problems, and mediates with employees and union representatives, identifying legal issues to manager or others as required.
• Drafts and revises personnel policies and procedures as appropriate.

Position Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business-related field.
• Juris Doctor.
• At least five years of direct experience in labor relations.
• Demonstrated experience as chief spokesperson in union contract negotiations.
• In-depth knowledge and expertise in collective bargaining, state and federal labor and employment law.
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the union grievance process, preparing for arbitrations.
• Knowledge of the National Labor Relations Act and National Labor Relations Board procedures.

Preferred

• Substantive and demonstrated experience working in unionized environments with MNA, UFCW, NAGE, AFSME and SEIU.