Labor Relations Manager

Position: Labor Relations Manager Organization: United Contractors (UCON) Location: San Ramon, California (Hybrid) UnitedContractors.org

United Contractors (UCON) is looking for an experienced Labor Relations professional to serve as the Department's boots-on-the-ground labor expert for our contractor members. When an issue emerges on a member's jobsite or a grievance gets filed, our contractors call us. This role picks up that phone and knows what to do. The Labor Relations Manager will interpret and administer Master Labor Agreements and PLAs, handle grievances through arbitration, and support the Director of Labor Relations at the bargaining table. This is a hands-on role with meaningful responsibility from the start. The right person brings sound judgment, credibility, follow-through, and the ability to navigate disagreement while maintaining productive working relationships.

About UCON United Contractors is a powerful, high-impact trade association representing over 800 union-signatory construction and associated firms across California. We exist to empower, advocate for, and support California's union contractors. We are relentlessly committed to serving the needs of our members, while building the next generation of industry leaders.

Our Vision: To be the most trusted and transformational construction organization in the nation. Labor Relations is the backbone of United Contractors services and the Labor Relations Manager will be at the center of that primary service.

UCON Values Our values set us apart and fuel our work as individuals and as a team. We take them seriously. If you share these values, you'll thrive here.

• Authenticity: The courage to be unapologetically different, genuine & bold
• Credibility: Unparalleled reliability, trust, and time-tested expertise
• Compassion: Motivated by care, intention, and the desire to serve - we go beyond for our members
• Integrity: Absolute accountability and transparent decision-making
• Drive: We act with grit, urgency, and relentless determination

At UCON, we don't do politics, egos, BS or bureaucracy. If the values above feel like a description of who you are, and the mission feels motivating to you, you'll fit right in and thrive at UCON and in this uniquely important role.

Why Work at UCON? At UCON, your work has meaning; real, measurable, lasting impact. Our team culture is high-performing and high-trust. We invest in people who care deeply, move purposefully, and act boldly in service of others.

Here's what you can expect:

• A smart, driven, and (mostly) humble team that respects and supports each other.
• A results-driven group of individuals, from top to bottom, that genuinely enjoy their work and each other. We have fun along the way!
• Leadership that's accessible, human, and genuinely invested in your success.
• Mission-aligned, member-focused work that drives real-world change for our industry and our membership.
• Competitive salary and benefits, a hybrid work environment, and a commitment to professional growth.

Position Overview The Labor Relations Manager will represent union engineering contractors across California in grievance hearings, at the bargaining table, and in the day-to-day work of operating as a union employer. This role is the Department's boots-on-the-ground labor professional. You will work directly under the Director of Labor Relations, step in for the Director when needed, and carry real responsibility from your first week.

You will own the interpretation of assigned Master Labor Agreements, PLAs, side letters and MOUs, and give members answers they can act on: wages and fringes, dispatch, jurisdiction, working conditions, dispute resolution, and negotiations. You will be a regular contact for business managers, field reps and trust funds, and you'll fix most problems with a phone call before they turn into paperwork.

No two weeks look the same. This is a full-time position, Monday through Friday, 8-5 plus as needed, hybrid per UCON's Remote Work Policy, with travel of about 25-33% within California.

This role is NOT just fielding questions and passing them up the chain. The right candidate is a high-trust labor professional who can investigate, settle, and when necessary present a case, and who keeps the relationship with the union side working while doing it.

Key Responsibilities

• Interpret and administer assigned Master Labor Agreements, PLAs, side letters and MOUs, advising members on wages and fringes, dispatch, jurisdiction, working conditions, dispute resolution, and supporting negotiations
• Strong judgement in handling grievances from the first call to the arbitration hearing: investigate, settle where it makes sense, and prepare and present the case when it doesn't, including multi-craft and jurisdictional disputes
• Comfort working in a role that combines independent ownership with regular coordination across stakeholders
• Support the Director at the bargaining table by building proposals, preparing bargaining materials, conducting research, and preparing the products members rely on once a deal is executed
• Serve as a regular point of contact for union business managers, field reps and trust funds, resolving issues early and keeping relationships working
• Monitor prevailing wage, certified payroll, skilled and trained workforce, and apprenticeship compliance; advise members and flag new issues to the Director
• Prepare labor bulletins and member memos, deliver trainings on contract changes and rate increases, and support UCON events
• Step in for the Director of Labor Relations when needed

Ideal Candidate Profile The ideal candidate for this role is a seasoned, level-headed labor professional who gives members the honest answer even when it isn't the one they wanted. You will thrive in this role if you:

• Have handled grievances and administered CBAs, and are ready to own your crafts and contractors from day one
• Keep your word with the union side and build relationships that hold up through disagreement
• Stay level when a hearing gets heated: professional, trustworthy and responsive
• Have construction-side experience with a contractor, an association or a union
• Bring an existing network among Northern California trades
• Enjoy training and coaching clients and turning contract language into practical guidance
• Have sat across from a business agent, told them no, and still had them take your call the next week

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in the industry
• Experience: 3+ years in labor relations, including handling grievances and administering CBAs
• Working knowledge of building trades agreements across several crafts, PLAs and dispute resolution
• Solid grasp of California public works and prevailing wage rules
• Experience in front of a Board of Adjustment or an arbitrator; at minimum, experience resolving disputes
• Bargaining experience preferred
• Salesforce or another CRM a plus; basic software proficiency

A Good Fit for UCON:

• You are comfortable rolling up your sleeves and doing the work, especially during busy negotiating cycles.
• You enjoy working with and on behalf of a diverse group of success-oriented employers in the construction industry: hard-workers, early-risers, entrepreneurs, risk-takers, self-motivated leaders.
• You respect rigor and preparation, but do not get stuck in over-analysis.
• You bring confidence without arrogance and structure without rigidity.
• You value authenticity, credibility, compassion, integrity, and drive, and expect the same from the people you work with.
• This role is best suited for someone who enjoys being close to the work, managing details, documentation, and follow-through, rather than operating solely at a high-level advisory distance.
• You enjoy the people as much as the work

Pay Range: $115,000 - $170,000

UCON values diversity and is looking for extraordinary employees of all backgrounds! We are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer.

Please include with your resume a brief statement of interest. In your statement, tell us why this role and UCON feels like the right fit for you. Include what you see as your unique superpowers that make you a great potential fit for UCON and this important role.