Labor Relations Manager
Location: Downtown Houston, TX
Salary: $130,000$165,000 + 20% Bonus
Travel: Approximately 25%; up to 40% as needed
Employment Type: Full-Time
A well-established organization is seeking an experienced Labor Relations Manager to join its Human Resources team. This is a high-visibility opportunity supporting a large, multi-state unionized workforce and partnering closely with HR, Operations, Legal, and senior leadership.
The Labor Relations Manager will serve as a subject matter expert on labor relations and will be responsible for supporting positive labor-management relationships, administering collective bargaining agreements, leading negotiations, and managing grievances and other labor-related matters.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary Labor Relations subject matter expert for HR and operational leadership
- Administer and interpret approximately 10 collective bargaining agreements across multiple states
- Lead and support collective bargaining negotiations, including proposal development, costing, and bargaining strategy
- Build and maintain productive relationships with union representatives
- Manage grievances from initial filing through resolution
- Conduct investigations involving labor disputes, contract violations, and workplace concerns
- Represent the organization in grievance meetings, mediations, arbitrations, and other labor proceedings
- Advise leadership regarding labor and employment laws, CBA requirements, and employee relations matters
- Monitor labor relations trends and proactively identify potential risks
- Train managers and HR professionals on labor relations, CBA administration, progressive discipline, and conflict resolution
- Partner with Legal, HR, and Operations to mitigate labor-related risks
- Travel to various locations for negotiations, investigations, training, labor-management meetings, and other business needs
Qualifications
- Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Business Administration, Industrial Relations, or related field
- 68+ years of progressive Labor Relations, Employee Relations, or HR experience
- Demonstrated experience supporting a unionized workforce
- Strong experience administering and interpreting collective bargaining agreements
- Experience participating in or leading labor contract negotiations
- Experience managing grievances, investigations, and arbitration preparation
- Strong knowledge of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and applicable labor & employment laws
- Experience working across multiple states and locations preferred
- Strong negotiation, communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work effectively with senior leaders, managers, employees, and union representatives
- Proficiency with HRIS systems and Microsoft Office
- Valid driver's license and clean driving record required
Preferred Qualifications
- Masters degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, or related field
- SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or equivalent certification
- Experience in transportation, logistics, manufacturing, utilities, energy, environmental services, or another highly regulated industry
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