Employee Relations Manager

Louis Robert Hiatt

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

Kansas City, Missouri 64114

Telephone 816-***-****

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

Objective

A challenging, senior-level position requiring an accomplished negotiator with exceptional employee relations skills and a demonstrated track record for improving operations and delivering bottom line results.

Profile

Proactive, results-driven senior executive with an academic concentration in Law (Juris Doctorate) and Business Administration, coupled with twenty years of broad-based experience in Employee & Labor Relations Law and Management. Background as an Instructor in Law, Employee & Labor Relations and HR at area universities.

Comprehensive general business knowledge and expertise, from Marketing and New Business Development to Business Consultancy, Administration of Change Management Programs, OSHA and EEOC Compliance. Well versed in all facets of HR and Labor-Management Relations Law with particular strengths in the following:

* Human Resources Professional *Operating Budgets

*Extensive union negotiation experience *Acute Health Care experience

*Arbitration, Mediation & NLRB *Compensation & Benefits Administration

*Union Avoidance/Decertification *Employee Safety, & Health Mgmt.

*Dispute Resolution * Excellent communication skills

*EEOC * Education Law & HR Expert

People-oriented leader and facilitator with an empowering management style.

Professional Experience

Labor Management Relations Consultants 11/2009-Present

LMC offers a full range of dispute resolution services to individuals, government agencies, professionals, unions, and businesses. Louis Hiatt specializes in all aspects of Human Resources, Employment and Labor/Management Relations law issues resolving employer-employee and/or union disputes through any form of dispute resolution such as mediation, arbitration, labor negotiation, and/or management training. Presently there are twelve (12) associate members with ADR.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI SCHOOL DISTRICT 1/2003-10/2009

(20,000 students in the District and more than 170 schools)

Employee/Labor Relations Manager – Sole Employee and Labor Relations professional with full responsibility on behalf of the School District for all unions and multiple Collective Bargaining Agreements; as well as non-union employees. Acted as Mediator/Arbitrator between unions and school district. Provided leadership for conflict resolution cases and organization training and development. Acted as labor counsel to the Board of Directors and Superintendent of the District. Facilitate some labor agreements, conduct research and write legal briefs.

Served as neutral facilitator in more than six hundred alternative dispute resolution cases including but not limited to mediation, arbitration, collective bargaining, employment, OSHA, and grievance hearings. Also spearheaded many EEOC and OSHA investigations.

Achievements include:

Resolution of all outstanding arbitration (220) hearings in a few short months without costing the district any significant loss.

Represented the district in collective bargaining agreements providing a new style of negotiation which ultimately brought the district a significant savings and improved the relationship between labor management and unions.

Participated at Harvard University on behalf of the District, as a Labor Relations Professional.

GST STEEL INDUSTRIES, INC. (steel company headquartered in Kansas City, MO 7/1997-11/2002

Employee & Labor Relations Director Reported to the Executive Director of Human Resources for a multi-billion dollar international steel manufacturer employing several thousand union and non-union employees. Directed all facets of labor-management relations including HR, collective bargaining, NLRB, arbitration, EEOC, OSHA, grievance management, organization development and training as well as conflict resolution. Served as liason during strikes, boycotts, pickets and lockouts. Coordinated company-wide organizational campaigns. Conducted research and wrote legal briefs. Effects Bargaining. Employee Relations Law.

BLUE RIVER CARE CENTER ( Long Term Skilled Nursing Facility – 120 Beds 5/1996-10/2000

Human Resources Director Part Time weekends and two evenings per week for 12-15 hours. All phases of human resources administration including benefits, compensation, payroll, recruitment and staffing, budgeting, employee & labor relations, safety and executive leadership with P & L .

Long Term Care – Managed Care clinical experience.

Acute Care Experience

BEYER CRUSHED ROCK COMPANY ( & Subsidiaries) Kansas City, MO 1/1986-3/1997

(Operator of 3 major limestone quarries)

CEO and President (General Manager) Provided overall direction and administrative management to all company operations including financial, marketing, operations, OSHA, human resources, labor relations, management training and employment- employee relations (with 9 unions). Supervised over 850 employees. Executive Director of HR/Employee Relations for 4 years. Experience working with more than 150 automobiles and trucks.

Achievements Include:

Reevaluated target market and increased sales by 20% (up to $25 million annually.)

Decertification from Master Union Agreement

Upon depletion of the quarries, successfully negotiated the sale of land for $9 million to a landfill company when the previous best offer was $3 million.

FARMLAND INDUSTRIES, INC. (Fortune 50 Company) Kansas City, MO 8/1978-12/1985

(Leading domestic agricultural cooperative and competitor in agribusiness worldwide; 16,000 employees)

Labor Relations Attorney Full responsibility for all facets of labor-management relations including collective bargaining, NLRB, arbitration, OSHA, EEOC, and grievance management and conflict resolution. Served as liaison during strikes, boycotts, pickets and lockouts. Managed organizational campaigns and decertifications. Non Union employee representation. Responsible for Benefit Analysis throughout corporation. Employee Relations representation. Employment and EEOC.

Achievements Include:

Represented individual companies/cooperatives generating annual revenues of more than $21 million.

Represented company in arbitration, conflict resolution, NLRB and EEOC cases with a 90% victory rate for company (at both union and non-union facilities).

Served as Lead Negotiator (last 6 years) for 30 contracts annually.

Training & Organizational Development

Substantially improved relationship of all non-union and union employees through Employee Relations.

HURDMAN & CRANSTOUN, CPA Kansas City, MO 10/1974-6/1978

(Certified Public Accounting firm; ranked 9th in the US)

Tax Manager – Managed over 300 accounts generating annual revenues of $10 million with responsibility for all phases of tax planning, provisioning and reporting including (but not limited to) corporate tax, gift and estate tax, ERISA, and mergers and acquisitions. Supervised a staff of 3 employees.

Achievements Include:

As Tax Manager, increased sales by 20% in two years, while maintaining accounts in-house to a 98% level.

Received promotions leading from staff employee to Tax Manager in less than 5 years.

Significant Management Training.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS SKILLS

1.Leads and Directs all aspects of Employee Relations throughout the organization.

2.Develops, recommends and implements approved Employee Relations policies and practices.

3.Adherence to all Local, State and Federal Laws including Unemployment Comp. and Worker’s Comp.

4.Investigates internal complaints and recommends causes of action, in violation of policy or law.

5.Responds to EEOC and Dept. of Labor matters.

6.Conducts organization audits to develop strategy.

7.PC Skills proficiency.

8.Provides facilitation for all employees.

9.Thorough knowledge of Title VII, Title IX, FMLA, ADA, FLSA, EEOC and Harassment Laws.

10.Maintain effective working relationships with members of the organization.

11.Organizational Development & Training

Professional Development

Participated in professional development seminars and/or training seminars at Harvard University, The American Institute for Certified Public Accountants, The Southwestern Legal Foundation, The Kansas City Bar Association, Farmland Industries, Inc., Farmland Foods, Inc. GST Steel Co. (Formerly Armco Steel Co) and the School District of Kansas City, Missouri; as well as, The Kansas City Federation of Teachers Union, American Federation of Grain Millers Union, Service Employees International Union, and the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (AFL-CIO) also The Kansas City, MO Charter School District.

Teaching Experience

University of Missouri, Avilla College and Rockhurst College; Kansas City, MO - 1976-present

Instructor – Taught courses including: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, Labor Law, Contract Law, EEOC, Employee Relations, Management & Leadership courses, Human Resources, and Economics as a part time instructor.

Education

Loyola University, School of Law – New Orleans, LA, Juris Doctorate (1974)

Certificate of Merit for Excellent Achievement in Study of Labor Law

Certificate of Merit for Excellent Achievement in Study of Business Planning

Rockhurst College – Kansas City, MO, BS Business Administration (1971)

Minor in Economics & Philosophy

Passed Written Comprehensive Exam with Honors in Business/ Economics

Deans Honor Roll

References Available Upon Request

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