Labor Relations Consultant (Hybrid/Remote OR/WA only)

The People & Culture organization at Legacy is about prioritizing our people so that we can prioritize our patients. We are transforming a traditional human resources function into a team of professionals who develop creative solutions to attract, develop and retain diverse, high performing talent. Within the People & Culture team, we are building a spirit of curiosity, experimenting with innovative approaches and challenging past practices to ensure we aren’t just responding to today’s workforce challenges, but can predict them. This is a pivotal moment in the healthcare industry, and Legacy’s People & Culture team sees this as an opportunity to reimagine what it means to work in one of the world’s most complex yet rewarding industries. For us it’s about building a legacy where our people can do their best and be their best.

Our mission of making life better for others includes every person we serve, including our employees. By promoting HR services, initiatives and programs, you will help to support management-level and employee customers so that Legacy Health can most effectively work as a team with a unified goal. If this is how you view your work as a Human Resources Associate, we invite you to consider this opportunity.

Provides consultation support to management level, union representatives, and employee customers within the Legacy system regarding labor relations strategies and services. Promotes and maintains a highly professional, visible, and integrated perspective to internal HR customers; contributes to strategic development of HR labor relations services, initiatives, and programs. Manages labor relations, including communications, contract bargaining and interpretation, grievance management, manager education on labor related issues and all other labor related support. Communicates and operationalizes the goals and objectives of Legacy Health within areas of responsibility.

As the largest nonprofit health system serving the Portland-Southwest Washington and mid-Willamette Valley areas, Legacy Health provides a range of services - we have six hospitals, one of which includes a center solely dedicated to children’s care, Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel. We run more than 70 primary care, specialty and urgent care clinics, employ nearly 3,000 doctors and providers and more than 13,000 employees. We also operate labs and a research center. Our major partnerships include those with PacificSource Health Plans and the Unity Center for Behavioral Health, a one-of-a-kind center for people facing a mental health crisis that is collaboratively operated between four regional health systems and numerous community partners.

Responsibilities

Strategic and Tactical Consulting and Advising

Provides strategic and tactical HR support to defined customer group.

Accesses appropriate resources to consult, problem solve and manage labor issues with the client.

Engages and consults with all levels of management to establish working relationships and partnerships at all levels of the organization on labor relations.

Advises and assists management staff with LOA, personnel policies and procedures, legal, grievances, corrective actions and terminations as it pertains to union contracts.

Educates management in appropriate business practices relating labor relations.

Developing Labor Training Solutions

Conducts needs analysis / other research to gather information, validate needs for training, and identify learning objectives.

Considers performance objectives and determines the proper blend of instructional methods to use for each training & development solution.

Develops training materials using input from subject matter experts (SME) and relevant reference and operational materials.

Designs, develops and maintains effective training materials.

Evaluates the effectiveness of training by developing and implementing evaluation tools and criteria.

Facilitates focus groups and solicits target audience feedback.

HR Legal / Regulatory Compliance

Identifies labor relations scenarios / situations that have potential to develop into legal or regulatory issues.

Consults with HR colleagues on appropriate management of labor-related issues in consideration of legal and regulatory environment.

Implements labor contract, procedures and programs that are designed to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Uses effective communication channels to share timely information on legal / regulatory changes.

Researches, evaluates and mediates various employment issues that may or do result in litigation.

Analyses and Decision Making

Defines the problem and investigates the cause before taking action, incorporating Just Culture principles where appropriate.

Takes initiative to formulate solutions when unexpected problems or barriers occur.

Considers options before acting on a decision.

Acts decisively but knows when to ask for help if the solution is not clear, impacts others or has potentially long-range effects.

Effective Communication

Selects the most effective communication method considering the audience, type of message and desired outcome.

Distinguishes ‘who needs what’ information and delivers that information in a concise and timely manner.

Encourages open communication of ideas and opinions.

Provides coaching to staff and management on communication methods and skills to foster effective and positive communication.

Labor Relations Administration

Administers all provisions of collective bargaining agreement(s).

Prepares, conducts, and participates in union-management contract negotiations, including strike planning and preparation.

Manages the grievance process,

Assists in the preparation of training in labor relations, contract interpretation and labor law application for management.

Administers, interprets and advises on labor relations contracts and policies.

Leads bargaining on single issue contract negotiations.

Provides expert review on policies, procedures and specific cases.

Works effectively and develops relationships with union leadership.

Researches, evaluates and mediates various labor issues that may or do result in arbitration or NLRB charges.

Educates managers and employees on implications of a union environment.

Develops and implements strategies in response to labor organizing, including communications, education and strategy.

Serves as the organizational resource on all labor relations matters.

Relationship Management – HR

Demonstrates understanding of business needs through the effective application of HR solutions.

Meets with managers / clients on a regular basis to discuss delivery of labor services, and client needs.

Produces and interprets management and ad hoc reports on HR labor activity, including potential units, hiring, turnover/retention, development needs and compensation statistics.

Provides coaching and support to managers handling performance issues, and participates as needed in employee discussions.

Manages multiple HR initiatives within the business group.

Surveying and Assessing Employee Engagement

Defines areas of interest / concern and discusses appropriate assessment methods with leaders / managers before initiating the employee assessment process.

Uses surveys, qualitative interviews, focus groups and other assessment techniques to collect and gather employee feedback.

Conducts analysis of feedback, interprets and provides a written report summarizing results.

Validates specific issues or circumstances that contribute to low engagement levels.

Recommends actions to reverse low engagement levels and maintain positive results.

Leading by Coaching

Collects and interprets feedback from multiple sources (internal and external customers, peers, superiors and subordinates) to use in the coaching process.

Applies diagnostics and coaching models appropriate for individuals and situations.

Requires staff to formulate action plans and development initiatives to achieve unit/department goals.

Empowers staff to secure resources needed to accomplish goals, within budgetary limits.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s preferred. Relevant experience may be substituted for educational requirements. PHR or SPHR certification preferred.

Experience: Seven years or more of progressively responsible experience in the HR field and labor relations. Experience in labor organizing campaigns, developing strategic approach and training to organizing for an employer. Knowledge of laws, acts and regulations governing employee and labor relations. Health Care experience preferred.

Skills: Working knowledge of all HR functional areas (employment, benefits, compensation, employee relations, training and development, human resources information systems, workforce planning), in addition to in-depth knowledge of two to three functional areas.

Strong presentation skills, ability to present data and information as a subject matter expert.

Demonstrated ability to discern pertinent data from raw information, evaluate and consult around solutions.

Demonstrated ability to influence decisions and actions of customers.

Comfortable with public speaking to include a wide variety of audiences.

Strong verbal and written communication skills.

LEGACY’S VALUES IN ACTION:

Follows guidelines set forth in Legacy’s Values in Action.

Pay Range

USD $52.88 - USD $78.78 /Hr.

Regular Full-Time