Manager Human Resource

William A. Burkart

**** ****** *** *****

Noblesville, IN 46062

317-***-**** Home

*********@*******.***

Summary MBA with eighteen years progressive experience in Human Resources in both heavy and light industries with heavy

emphasis on strategy/policy development at both corporate and facility levels. Strong leadership skills used in

managing both small and large workforces both union and nonunion. Proven success in employee relations, labor

relations, training and group facilitation, staffing, safety and health, EAP, workers compensation, EEO and wage and

benefit administration. Experience in union avoidance, union partnership, labor contract negotiation,

grievance/arbitration, plant start-up, change management, plant closure, single and multi-plant responsibility.

Experience

2006-2010 ConAgra Foods, Inc

Human Resource Manager – ConAgra / Indianapolis Plant (November 2008 – April 2010) Indianapolis, IN

Manage the Human Resource department in a 400 employee union (UFCW) food manufacturing (Reddi Wip /

Fleischmanns, Parkay, Blue Bonnet Table Spreads) facility. Responsible for all traditional staffing, development, issue

resolution, pay/benefits, EEO/AAP, workers comp, etc. activities at the Indianapolis facility. Reports to the

Refrigerated Platform Human Resource Director. Two direct reports.

• Acted as Temporary Plant Human Resource Manager following the concurrent resignations of plant’s Human

Resource Manager and Human Resource Generalist during the plant’s busy season. After three months of

temporary assignment agreed to relocate and fill the open Human Resource Manager position.

• Oversaw the restructuring of several functions within the plant to align with corporate and plant initiatives

including ConAgra Performance Systems based on Lean Manufacturing processes such as

5-S, Standard Work and Autonomous Maintenance.

• Successfully negotiated a fully recommended 3 year Collective Bargain Agreement within budget that included

substantial classification and payroll changes (ratified on first vote).

• Repaired and improved labor relations with plant stewards and local UFCW Leadership.

• Provided leadership, communication, and direction during significant facility changes including turnover of the

Plant Manager, Human Resource Manager, Human Resource Generalist, Operations Manager, Production

Manager, Quality Manager, Safety Manager, Maintenance Manager and several Supervisor and support positions

within an eight month period.

Human Resource Manager – ConAgra / Garner Plant (January 2006 - November 2008) Garner, NC

Managed the Human Resource department in an 900 employee union (UFCW) food manufacturing (Slim Jim/Penrose

Meat Snacks) facility and member of Snacks Platform Human Resource Leadership Team. Responsible for all

traditional staffing, development, issue resolution, pay/benefits, EEO/AAP, workers comp, etc. activities at the Garner

facility. Reported to the Snacks Platform Sr. Human Resource Director. Three direct reports.

• Re-staffed Human Resource Department. Led the process of staffing over 40 open salaried positions and 300+

hourly positions within an 18 month timeframe.

• Oversaw the restructuring of several functions within the plant to align with corporate and plant initiatives

including ConAgra Performance Systems based on Lean Manufacturing processes such as 5-S, Standard Work and

Autonomous Maintenance.

• Managed positive labor relations with UFCW during $35MM+ plant/process re-design that significantly impacted

employee standards, schedules, and classifications.

• Successfully negotiated a fully supported agreement with UFCW to extend contract one year during plant/process

redesign. Company spokesperson during regular negotiations resulting in joint fully recommended 3 Year

Collective Bargaining Agreement that was ratified on first vote.

• Active role in Snacks Platform HRLT designing, piloting, and launching company wide Facility Human Resource

Audit process.

• Provided leadership, communication, and direction during significant facility changes including turnover of the

Plant Manager, Operations Manager, Production Manager, Safety Manager, Continuous Improvement Manager,

Quality Manager, Maintenance Manager, Controller, Logistics Manager, Human Resource Generalist and multiple

Supervisor and support positions.

1998-2006 Kraft Foods, Inc

Human Resource Manager – Kraft / Mid-New York Regional Custer (April 2004 - December 2005) Campbell, NY

Directed Human Resource activities across three Kraft Cheese and Dairy plants in Mid-New York State ( Polly-O

Cheese at Campbell, NY – 360 Employees, Union- Teamsters; Breakstone at Walton, NY – 180 Employees, Union-

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William A. Burkart Resume

UFCW; Breyers at South Edmeston, NY – 75 Employees, Union-Teamsters). Led Employee Organizational

Excellence (EOE) Strategy development and execution. Responsible for enhancing positive employee relations and

building self-directed hourly work teams in three distinctly different union environments. Managed the Human

Resource department at the Campbell facility, responsible for all traditional staffing, development, issue resolution,

benefit and safety/worker’s comp, etc. activities. Reported to Divisional Manufacturing Director/Plant Manager. Five

direct reports (three at Campbell, one at Walton, one at Edmenston).

• Driving member of the Company Committee responsible for successfully negotiating 3 Year Collective Bargaining

Labor Agreements at both the Campbell and Walton facilities.

• Designed/implemented monthly employee “Focus Group” meetings with Plant Manager and Human Resource

Manager to discuss issues affecting employee satisfaction.

• Designed/implemented monthly Leadership Development process aligning Managers, Supervisors and Hourly

Group Leaders.

• Led redesign of Campbell facility QCDSM (Quality, Cost, Delivery, Safety and Morale) process of daily business

meetings.

• Guided the use of New York State SMART Grant funds to introduce Lean Manufacturing concepts. The training

provided by Rochester Institute of Technology resulted in three Kaizen events and trained facilitators for future

events.

• Member of Cheese and Dairy Sector Operations Diversity Council Sub Team.

• Directed activities associated with closing the South Edmeston facility.

• Job Eliminated due to HR Structure Reorganization (Severance).

Human Resource Manager – Kraft / Chattanooga Plant (August 1998 - April 2004) Chattanooga, TN

Managed the Human Resource department in a 200 employee non-union Kraft Candy/Snack manufacturing facility –

Planters/Lifersavers. Directed strategies/activities in staffing, training and education, change efforts, discipline,

grievance resolution, performance evaluations, worker’s compensation, health and safety, personnel administration,

unemployment, EEO and Affirmative Action. Responsible for managing third party Security and Light Industrial labor

contractors. Reported to Plant Manager and area Human Resource Director. Two direct reports.

• Designed and directed activities associated with corporate requirements to reduce salaried headcount from 35 to

19 positions.

• Provided leadership, communication, and direction during significant corporate and facility change including

turnover in the Plant Manager, Engineering Manager, and Controller positions; the acquisition by Kraft Foods; the

acquisition of a third party Buffer Warehouse; $13MM, 20MMlb, 48 employee new production line; new benefit

plans; job redesigns; transition from 8 hour to 10 and 12 hour shifts; systems changes.

• Negotiated service improvements and a 13% rate reduction from labor contractor.

• Redesigned and authored new hourly employee handbook, replacing existing 1981 version.

• Acted as the Plant Manager's primary aid/consultant/confidante.

• Directed/executed activities rewriting all salary and hourly job descriptions.

1993-1998 Levi Strauss & Company

Human Resource Manager - Centerville Plant (August 1993 – August 1998) Centerville, TN

Finance and Administration

Managed the Human Resource department in a 500 employee non-union cut/sew facility and provided general

consultation/facilitation to other corporate workgroups. Directed strategies/activities in staffing, training and education,

change efforts (Plant Redesign), corporate union partnership initiatives, discipline, grievance resolution, performance

evaluations, worker’s compensation, health and safety, personnel administration, unemployment, EEO and Affirmative

Action. Reported to area Source Relations Manager. Eight direct reports.

• Provided Human Resource Management coverage to a second 800 employee union LS&Co facility in

Valdosta, Georgia.

• Accepted additional responsibilities as the facility Finance and Administration Manager. Directed

strategies/activities in accounts payable, payroll and benefits, annual budget, production control, information

systems, and security.

• Facilitated numerous offsite corporate supplier relationship building and planning meetings

• Directed all human resource and administration activities related to plant closure including notification,

benefits deployment and coordination, employee morale and assistance, security, disposition of company assets

and records, termination and reconciliation of vendor accounts.

• Created the “Coaches Team” in order to push decision making down in the facility and empower supervisors

to make management level decisions by consensus

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William A. Burkart Resume

• Coordinated activities with Union (UNITE!) to introduce the corporate “Partnership Agreement” and to

provide “Union Education”.

• Provided production line management coverage as needed.

• Plant Closed and Job Eliminated (Severance)

1991-1993 Porcelain Industries, Inc

Manager of Human Resources and Development (August 1991 – August 1993) Dickson, TN

Hired to develop and administer strategies/activities in staffing a start-up state of the art enameling facility with 50 employees.

At completion, retained to manage the corporate Human Resource Department with two enameling facilities and 150

employees. Personally performed all staffing, payroll, and worker’s compensation activities. Reported to President.

• Successfully designed and implemented staffing strategies for new facility.

• Coordinated activities related to general union avoidance and a successful company campaign in defeating a

union organization attempt.

• Facilitated a project to implement Statistical Process Control into the production process and redesign the

Quality Assurance Program to gain ISO 9000 certification.

• Voluntarily resigned on excellent terms for LS&Co position (Career Growth)

1990-1991 Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.

EEO Coordinator – BSFS / Morrison Plant (May 1990 – August 1991) Morrison, TN

(Contractor) Designed and prepared the initial Affirmative Action Plan at a start-up state of the art truck tire union manufacturing

facility. Responsible for designing applicant and employee tracking systems, Sexual Harassment Policies, and other

EEO policies. Reported to Industrial Relations Manager.

• Constructed an Affirmative Action Plan PC spreadsheet (EXCEL) used as a model to improve other BSFS

facility AAPs.

• Reported EEO staffing progress and issues at facility management meetings

• Facilitated a project to analyze facility jobs for succession plans and development.

• Voluntarily resigned on excellent terms for Porcelain Industries position (Career Growth)

1986-1989 Father Ryan High School

Teacher/Coach (August 1986 – June 1989) Nashville, TN

Taught Business Math, Social Justice, Morality, Advanced Scripture, Marriage and Family, and Sex Education. Coached Football

and Track. Voluntarily resigned on excellent terms to MBA program full-time.

Education/

Certification

2001 Society of Human Resource Management Chattanooga, TN

Senior Professional in Human Resources Certification (SPHR)

1991 Vanderbilt University - Owen Graduate School of Business Nashville, TN

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

1986 St. Ambrose University Davenport, IA

Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Business Administration and Philosophy (BA)

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William A. Burkart Resume

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