Labor Relations Manager

About the Role

The Labor Relations Manager works as part of a team of labor relations professionals and reports to the Vice President of Labor Relations. This role supports labor relations for assigned operations in California, including contract administration, grievance handling, arbitration preparation, collective bargaining support, labor-management relations, and union benefit matters. The Labor Relations Manager advises HR and Operations leaders on issues involving represented associates, provides practical recommendations that balance business needs with contractual and legal obligations, and partners with internal stakeholders and counsel to resolve disputes.

Responsibilities

• Serves as subject matter expert on matters arising under collective bargaining agreements and advises business partners on all issues arising under collective bargaining agreements, labor law, multiemployer benefit plans and other issues involving unionized associates.
• Handles grievance administration, including reviewing facts and evidence, preparing case summaries, assessing arbitration risk, developing recommendations, supporting grievance hearings, drafting responses, and identifying resolution strategies.
• Represents the Company's position in grievance meetings, labor-management meetings, mediations, and other union-related discussions and partners with internal and external labor counsel on arbitration cases.
• Prepares arbitration matters internally, including factual investigation, timeline development, exhibit collection, and coordination with internal or external counsel.
• Supports chief labor negotiator in collective bargaining, including preparation and analysis of proposals, meeting preparation, note-taking, and implementation of ratified agreements.
• Builds and maintains productive relationships with union business agents, stewards, HR partners, operations leaders, and other stakeholders to support constructive labor-management relationships and proactive issue resolution.
• Maintains organized and timely documentation in appropriate systems, including grievance files, case records, correspondence, evidence, settlement documentation, arbitration materials, and other labor relations records.
• Provides clear, concise, and complete written communications to stakeholders, including issue summaries, recommendations, risk assessments, meeting summaries, training follow-up, and executive updates.
• Manages multiple locations and competing priorities while maintaining strong organization, responsiveness, follow-through, and judgment.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Industrial Relations, Business, or a related field. Labor relations certification, human resources certification, or prior experience in labor law, labor negotiations, grievance arbitration, union dispute resolution, or collective bargaining preferred.

Experience: 5-7 years labor relations, labor negotiations, grievance administration, union dispute resolution, human resources in a unionized environment, or a related field.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong working knowledge of labor relations principles, collective bargaining agreements, grievance and arbitration processes, unfair labor practice issues, union organizing activity, and labor-management relations.
• Knowledge of employment and labor laws, including the National Labor Relations Act and related federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Understanding of employee benefits, multiemployer benefit plans, union benefit arrangements, and how CBA language affects benefit administration preferred.
• Ability to independently research issues, review applicable CBAs and policies, and develop a recommended answer before escalating for additional guidance.
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear issue summaries, grievance responses, settlement recommendations, leadership updates, training materials, meeting summaries, and executive-level communications.
• Strong verbal communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex labor relations concepts to HR partners, operations leaders, senior leaders, union representatives, and outside counsel.
• Ability to partner effectively with stakeholders while maintaining appropriate Labor Relations boundaries and ensuring local HR and operations teams remain accountable for their responsibilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, locations, deadlines, and urgent issues while maintaining organization, follow-through, and sound judgment.
• Ability to assess when a matter should be resolved, escalated, settled, advanced to arbitration, or handled internally before engaging outside counsel.
• Good judgment is required for this position as there may be times when direct supervision may not be immediately available.

Work Location

Remote position requiring residence in California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, or Arizona. Remote associates are welcome to work from the office but are not required to do so. May be required to come to the office or other UNFI locations for necessary business reasons or if directed by manager.

Travel

Travel required up to 75%. Must be able to travel frequently by plane and/or car to company locations, union meetings, arbitrations, negotiations, trainings, and other business-related meetings as needed.

Physical Demands

• Most work is performed in a temperature-controlled office environment.
• Incumbent may sit for long periods of time at a desk or computer terminal.
• Regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• May use calculators, keyboards, telephones, and other office equipment in the course of a normal workday.
• Stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may be required in the completion of job duties.
• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds and to stand, walk, bend, stoop, twist and turn frequently.
• Ability to do repetitious arm, wrist and hand movements required for working in an office environment including typing.
• May require warehouse floor presence with proper PPE.