WHAT DOES A LABOR RELATIONS MANAGER DO?

Published: Dec 30, 2025 - The Labor Relations Manager provides expert legal guidance to executives, management, and HR partners on individual and collective labor matters, including contract, social, and data protection law. This role supports works council and union negotiations, drafts expert opinions and standardized employment contracts and agreements, and advises international projects and restructuring initiatives. The manager also represents the organization in court and before authorities, partners with global stakeholders, and contributes to HR and occupational safety committee processes.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Labor Relations Manager

1. Labor Relations Manager Duties

  • Labor Coordination: Manage Project Labor Agreement commitments through direct collaboration with contractors and unions in advance of construction as well as in the field
  • Workforce Initiatives: Lead various external workforce initiatives identified to meet union and DEI workforce goals
  • Workforce Planning: Track all local workforce requirements for projects and coordinate with the EPC team, contractors, and unions to ensure adequate recruitment, training, and staffing
  • Stakeholder Communication: Ensure accurate and timely communication of workforce and training needs and requirements between project management, contractors, and other stakeholders
  • Conflict Resolution: Support identifying solutions to resolve differing views among contractors, project management, unions, and other stakeholders regarding roles, responsibilities, DEI initiatives, and costs related to the construction workforce
  • Workforce Tracking: Implement a workforce tracking program to measure job creation and other macroeconomic benefits of the project
  • Report Preparation: Prepare presentations and reports regarding the construction workforce implementation

2. Labor Relations Manager Details

  • Training Planning: Identify plans and administer training workshops that are driven by the strategic performance needs of the organization
  • Bargaining Support: Provide support to the organization in collective bargaining activities and grievances
  • HR Training: Develop and facilitate training and seminars around various human resource issues, usually about important management issues such as Sexual Harassment, team member counselling, and union avoidance
  • Labor Administration: Manage the labor relations and contract administration responsibilities in the field, including facilitating a partnership with the union bargaining committee, participating in labor contract negotiations, and administering 2nd and 3rd-step grievances in union facilities
  • Policy Training: Establish and provide training to ensure local management understanding of internal Human Resources policies, procedures and programs, and related external factors
  • Development Solutions: Research, pilot, and implement cost-effective development solutions as customer needs change
  • HR Program Support: Assist the HR Director with the definition, planning and implementation of HR Programs, ensuring consistency, compliance and efficiency
  • Issue Resolution: Assist managers and employees in resolving employee relations issues

3. Labor Relations Manager Responsibilities

  • Employee Investigation: Investigate and guide sound decisions, prepare or assist with corrective actions, and facilitate involuntary terminations
  • Trend Monitoring: Monitor employee relations trends, issues, and problems within the assigned area and support local management in addressing concerns
  • Relations Programs: Develop and monitor programs designed to promote positive employee relations
  • HR Communications: Support communication of HR and business initiatives including benefits, legal requirements, and compensation changes
  • Initiative Support: Assist in facilitating the implementation of related company initiatives
  • Talent Management: Support field talent management initiatives including employee reviews and performance-based compensation adjustments
  • Performance Coaching: Advise and coach employees and managers on performance-related issues
  • Project Coordination: Coordinate changes and implementation of project outcomes aligned with HR leadership and business objectives

4. Labor Relations Manager Accountabilities

  • Lead Spokesperson: Serves as the Port’s chief spokesperson for contract negotiations for all eight labor agreements including mid-term bargaining
  • Bargaining Strategy: Develops positions, proposals, and strategies in collective bargaining activities and negotiates labor agreements
  • Agreement Drafting: Prepares Memorandums of Agreement, Understanding and Exception along with Supplemental Agreements
  • Meeting Facilitation: Facilitates labor management meetings, researches issues brought forward, and prepares the Port’s response
  • Negotiation Research: Conducts research necessary to support contract negotiations
  • Goal Negotiation: Uses appropriate negotiation strategies to develop bargaining goals and negotiate contracts consistent with the Port’s mission, vision, and values
  • Technical Advising: Provides Port leadership, department managers, employees, and HR staff with information, technical assistance, and recommendations on labor relations issues
  • Contract Administration: Administers and manages labor contract administration
  • Contract Interpretation: Provides interpretation of labor contracts to employees, managers, and HR staff

5. Labor Relations Manager Functions

  • CBA Compliance: Analyzes and interprets language in collective bargaining agreements for compliance with federal, state, and local laws, Port policies, and management practices
  • Labor Advising: Advises managers and employees on sensitive labor relations matters, including grievance and arbitration procedures, performance issues, and disciplinary actions
  • HR Guidance: Provides information, advice, and assistance to Human Resources staff regarding the application of statutes, regulations, contracts, and labor relations practices relating to their functional areas
  • Arbitration Presentation: Prepares and presents management positions at binding arbitration in conjunction with legal counsel
  • Relationship Building: Develops, facilitates, and maintains cooperative working relationships with employee representative organizations, Port leadership, and department managers including coordination of joint labor management committees
  • Training Delivery: Develops and delivers labor relations training to Port managers to build labor relations knowledge, skills, and abilities
  • Manager Communication: Develops communication and training for managers to ensure correct and consistent implementation and adherence to collective bargaining agreement terms and relevant court decisions affecting the represented public sector workplace
  • Labor Law Knowledge: Maintains knowledge of labor laws, administrative rulings, court decisions, labor relations trends, PERS rules and regulations, Port policies, and the Port’s eight labor agreements

6. Labor Relations Manager Overview

  • Labor Advising: Advises management on labor relations matters to reach a fair and amicable resolution that satisfies all parties' needs
  • Bargaining Strategy: Assists with developing an overall theme and strategy for bargaining and builds coherent arguments for negotiations
  • Contract Drafting: Writes, interprets, and researches contract language to support management goals
  • Cost Modeling: Develops labor contract costing models to evaluate union proposals
  • Position Development: Coordinates and prepares bargaining positions for labor negotiations in consultation with management and labor counsel
  • Table Representation: Assists with representing Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields at the bargaining table
  • Best Practices: Applies business legal and industry best practices to support agreement outcomes
  • Loss Mitigation: Works efficiently to minimize wage losses, operational interruptions, low morale and mistrust
  • Grievance Processing: Processes union and employee grievances through investigation, interviews and fact verification
  • Manager Training: Trains and advises management and Human Resources personnel on labor relations compliance and best practices

7. Labor Relations Manager Details and Accountabilities

  • Strategic Leadership: Act as a business leader, strategic planner, trusted advisor, relationship builder, talent champion and culture and change ambassador for Wheels and Brakes Operations
  • Executive Coaching: Directly coach, partner and advise critical members of the Operations Leadership Team on change management, organizational design, cultural transformation and diversity, equity and inclusion
  • Contract Interpretation: Manage contract interpretation to resolve union grievances, employee issues and arbitrations
  • Union Negotiations: Act as the site focal point for local union negotiations
  • Case Research: Guide the labor team in researching and compiling facts related to employee grievances and advising on policy interpretation to strengthen management positions
  • Labor Expertise: Serve as a subject matter expert in labor and employee relations during grievance procedures
  • Dispute Documentation: Manage documentation related to labor disputes and grievance arbitrations
  • Legal Collaboration: Work with legal professionals to recommend contract language that best serves management interests
  • Issue Mediation: Mediate and resolve employee relations issues through fair and objective approaches
  • Workplace Investigation: Conduct thorough and objective investigations into labor and employee relations matters
  • Policy Compliance: Ensure corporate and site policies and procedures are communicated, understood and followed by all employees
  • Legal Compliance: Ensure labor and employment laws are followed in consultation with leadership or legal counsel
  • Program Administration: Administer labor and employee relations programs and policies with limited oversight
  • Project Management: Manage labor and employee relations-focused projects and initiatives

8. Labor Relations Manager Tasks

  • Negotiation Strategy: Manages negotiations with assigned business units and senior leadership in preparing strategy and proposals to determine feasibility, cost, operational impact, and alignment with industry and geographic trends
  • Labor Strategy: Develops and implements a broad, balanced, and effective labor relations strategy
  • Union Avoidance: Develops and implements union-free training and proactive strategies to respond to union organizing
  • Relationship Building: Builds and maintains long-term working relationships between negotiating parties
  • Legal Expertise: Serves as a subject matter expert and stays current on new and proposed federal and state employment laws
  • Contract Administration: Guides division leadership and HR in administering contracts and labor relations policies that comply with laws, organizational practices, and collective bargaining agreements
  • Labor Insights: Provides insights on labor activities, manager capabilities, and preventative labor practices
  • Legal Research: Researches and responds to complex labor relations and employment law issues in a time-sensitive manner

9. Senior Labor Relations Manager Roles

  • Labor Strategy: Develop and execute the company’s labor relations strategy
  • Labor Negotiations: Lead all labor negotiations for the company
  • Union Relationships: Create and maintain strong relationships with union personnel
  • Contract Guidance: Partner with HRBPs and local management to guide the interpretation of labor contracts
  • Trend Monitoring: Stay current with changes and trends in labor relations and advise management of potential impacts on the business and strategy
  • Grievance Resolution: Lead the grievance process to investigate and resolve grievances with workers, management, and union representatives
  • Arbitration Coordination: Coordinate with internal and external legal counsel in preparing and presenting grievances at arbitration
  • Hearing Testimony: Provide testimony and input on labor relations matters at hearings, meetings, arbitrations, and other proceedings
  • Policy Review: Provide input and review on policies, procedures, and other employment and labor matters

10. Labor Relations Manager Additional Details

  • Legal Advising: Provide expert advice to management, executives, and HR business partners on individual and collective law issues
  • Works Council Support: Support negotiations with the works council by providing expert guidance
  • Union Negotiations: Support negotiations with unions and deliver expert labor law advice
  • Legal Opinions: Prepare expert opinions in labor, social, tariff, data protection, and contract law
  • Contract Drafting: Create sample employment contracts, standard documents, and company agreements
  • International Projects: Provide legal support for international projects and restructuring initiatives
  • Stakeholder Cooperation: Cooperate closely with the works council and international stakeholders
  • Legal Representation: Represent the company in court and before regulatory authorities
  • Safety Representation: Represent management in the occupational safety committee
  • HR Participation: Participate as a member of the HR team in non-labor law HR projects and processes