Labor Relations Manager

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS:

Within parameters established by the Senior Director or Director Labor Relations, this position is accountable for supporting the goals and objectives of the enterprise regarding labor relations, positive employee relations, workplace flexibility, and union awareness in order to produce workforce efficiency and cost savings as well as minimize the Company's financial exposure. This position is accountable for providing employment and labor relations advice and oversight to operations leadership, the human resource organization, and others, as appropriate, and supporting global enterprise employee and labor relations goals and objectives.

This position serves as the principal point of contact for all labor relations advice, counseling, contract interpretation, contract negotiations, and dispute resolution at the Company's domestic union locations. This position will also be accountable for handling employment related matters concerning all domestic bargaining unit employees, including but not limited to investigations, discipline, termination, performance management, and accommodations.

The incumbent will perform a full range of employment/labor related functions including the following:

• Developing and implementing a sound and effective labor and employee relations strategy throughout the organization, including but not limited to all Employee Relations policies and directives.
• Monitoring employee and union relations at collectively bargained sites to facilitate early issue identification and intervention as appropriate.
• Maintaining and/or developing strong and constructive relationships with existing labor organizations, including fair labor contract administration.
• Serving as the Company's Chief Spokesperson for purposes of all domestic contract negotiations, administration of existing collective bargaining agreements, including the facilitation of disputes through the grievance and arbitration procedures referenced in such agreements.
• Serving as the Company's representative in disputed matters processed to a hearing in front of a neutral arbitrator and presented to an administrative agency (e.g., NLRB, EEOC, DOL, etc.) to ensure timely and efficient resolution and minimal liability on the part of the enterprise.
• Training site management, including front-line supervisors, in labor relations developments, best practices, and labor contract administration.
• Providing advice and counsel to the human resource organization and site management on employment/labor related matters, including understanding and application of company policy and procedures, as well as escalation to appropriate senior department management and other stakeholders, as necessary.
• Maintaining records, preparing reports and composing correspondence relative to work.
• Conducting specific research and investigation into employee issues as necessary.
• Preparing programs, solutions and systems to support employee and labor relations policy and strategy.
• Monitoring non-union facilities to assure those facilities adhere to positive employee relations practices that reinforce and support a positive work environment.
• Developing and implementing union awareness programs and appropriate management responses to union campaigns through planning, positive employee relations programs, site vulnerability assessments, campaign strategies, legal defense, policy review, education, and communication.
• Functioning as a strategic business partner with all other enterprise functions, as necessary, to assure satisfactory resolution of issues.
• Collaborating with shared functions, including but not limited to Employee Benefits, HRSS and LOA, to define processes and communications in relation to benefit entitlements, leave requests and/or accommodations in a collectively bargained environment.
• Monitoring compliance with internal, national, federal, state and local employment and labor laws and regulations.
• Supporting the Sr. Director/Director of Labor Relations on global labor relations matters outside of the United States as needed.
• Assisting with special projects as needed.

This role will report to Sherwin-Williams Global Headquarters located at 1 Sherwin Way, Cleveland, OH 44113.

"Job duties include contact with other employees and access confidential and proprietary information and/or other items of value, and such access may be supervised or unsupervised. The Company therefore has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business and its operations and reputation and is necessary to protect the safety of the Company's staff, employees, and business relationships."

FORMAL EDUCATION:

Required:

• Bachelor's Degree

Preferred:

• Juris Doctorate
• Licensed to practice law
• Multi-lingual, particularly in Spanish

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• 5 years of experience managing labor matters, including contract negotiations and conducting labor arbitrations
• Knowledge of laws, regulations, and procedures relative to employee and labor relations matters
• Experience handling matters before federal and state agencies responsible for enforcing employment and labor laws

TECHNICAL/SKILL REQUIREMENTS:

Required:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to interact effectively with all levels of management, HR professionals and employees in the management and investigation of agency and private employee claims and allegations
• Intermediate Microsoft Suite skills (Office, Excel, Powerpoint, Access)

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: (TIME SPENT AWAY FROM HOME OR OTHER TYPICAL OFFICE LOCATION)

• 20%