Employee Relations Labor

STEVE MANASCO

314-***-**** ************@*****.***

Chicagoland (Hoffman Estates), IL.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ALBERTSON’S COS. (Jewel-Osco Division) October 2024 – July 2025

Director, Labor & Employee Relations

Negotiating Contracts:

oLeading negotiations with labor Unions to develop and maintain collective bargaining agreements covering wages, benefits, and working conditions, and other terms of employment matters

oGrievance handling

oInvestigating and resolving employee grievances related to contract interpretations, workplace issues, and disciplinary actions

oCompliance with labor laws

oEmployee relations – promoting positive employee relations by addressing employee concerns

Training and education

Providing training to management on labor relations policies and procedures, and their rights and responsibilities under the collective bargaining agreements

Dispute resolution – Utilizing mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methos to resolve conflicts

oLabor Relations strategy development

oPolicy development and interpretation

oDeveloping and implementing company policies related to employee relations, ensuring consistency with the collective bargaining agreements

Risk Detection and Mitigation

oApply Employee and Labor Relations experience to successfully identify trends and risks, predict and mitigate risk, and develop and execute solution-focused strategies & programs

Crisis Management

oExpertise in dealing with and managing sudden emergency situations, such as a union campaign, employee walkouts or sit-down strikes, or any other type of potential work action

oExperience in dealing with an unexpected or disruptive event that threatens to harm the organization

oPreparing, responding, and recovering from sudden events that may threaten an organizations operation or service level to its customers

oProblem Solving

oIdentify the root cause of conflicts through open communication.

oFoster a positive workplace culture by promoting inclusivity and respect.

oImplement regular feedback mechanisms to gauge employee satisfaction.

oDevelop clear policies and procedures for conflict resolution.

Strategic Labor Relations Leadership

oDevelop and implement positive employee relations strategies that align with Vestas' business objectives and promote a collaborative and productive work environment.

o Advise and train senior management on labor relations strategies, risk mitigation, and compliance with applicable labor laws and regulations.

o Develop campaign response playbook and train response teams.

o Lead collective bargaining processes, ensuring successful negotiation and execution of labor agreements.

oAdvance positive relationships between management, employees, and union representatives.

o Develop and implement strategies and tools to proactively identify, mitigate, and respond to labor risks.

o Address and resolve employee grievances and disputes effectively and in accordance with established policies and agreements.

o Develop and deliver training for managers and supervisors on best practices in approachable leadership, labor relations and contract administration

GLOBAL MEDICAL RESPONSE January 2024 – August 2024 (Company sold its transport business resulting in a RIF)

Director of Employee and Labor Relations / Lead Labor (CBA) Negotiator

•Serves as part of the Human Resources team on the development, administration, interpretation, and application of Employee & Labor Relations policies and programs and related matters, including quality control, data management, and compliance with local and national labor and employment laws.

•Responsible for 77 CBA’s nation-wide, delegating negotiations to my team as appropriate.

•Advises and assists in the administration of collective bargaining agreements, contract interpretation, grievance and discipline administration.

•Consults with managers and HR Partners providing expert advice, coordinates with legal counsel, HR Ops and employee relations on all LR (and ER) matters as needed, and serves as spokesperson and liaison with union leadership.

•Coordinates and/or leads collective bargaining negotiations; serves as chief spokesperson and negotiator when needed, operationally defining labor policies that are competitive, and ensure cost effective labor agreements.

•Responsible for the ongoing implementation of business and operational changes during contract term.

•Provides consultation and mediation regarding work-related issues, conflicts, discipline policy/procedures, questions, and contract interpretation.

•Acts as company advocate for labor arbitration cases; conducts investigations, and prepares arbitration cases, working with Legal as appropriate.

•Identified labor & employee relations training needs. Assisted in the design of training, and ensured training is delivered effectively.

•Trained front-and-second- line operations management in union avoidance and leads a team during Union campaigns.

•Managed union related audits and partners with HR Operations for administration of Union contracts and RFP support.

•Strong understanding of NLRA, FLSA, Title VII, ADA and FMLA

•Work closely with TA on hiring of union-represented employees & alongside HR, Compliance, and Ops Management, and drafted / updated job descriptions as necessary

•Leads or assists in investigations of alleged employee wrongdoing and recommend corrective action, as necessary, to front line and senior management

•Dispute resolution: Resolving disputes between employees and management

•Policy development: Developing, drafting, and implementing policies, handbooks, and codes of conduct

•Advice and consultation: Advised managers and employees on sensitive labor and employee relations matters

•Contract administration: Administered and managed the administration of labor contracts

•Contract interpretation: Interpreted labor contracts to managers, employees (as applicable), and HR staff

•Employee relations activities: Provided a broad range of professional employee relations activities including employee consulting, training, and conflict resolution

•Legal compliance: Interacted with all levels of leadership regarding legal compliance, discipline, terminations, and negotiated separations

•Surveys and research: Conducted surveys, interviews, and other research

•Plan preparation: Assisted with preparation of plans, policies, documents, and reports

ARAMARK UNIFORM SERVICES, L.L.C. 2019-2023 (part of RIF due to Aramark’s spin-off of uniform business now called Vestis)

Director, Labor and Employee Relations

•Lead negotiator for 47 labor agreements (with multiple direct reports of various Labor professionals)

•Covered a nine-state territory that required heavy travel

•Developed and implemented policies that aligned with company’s culture of “people first”, always focused on the practice that employees are the most important asset

•Practiced an open-door policy at both union and non-union locations for all employees

•Studied historic trends of past negotiations, created cost modeling to obtain authority levels prior to begin economic negotiations, and remaining discipline to approved cost model

•Consulted with senior leaders and the legal team to identify trends, successes, and areas for opportunity

•Mitigated risk by implementing solutions that were competitive, cost effective, and aligned with company’s culture of fair treatment of employees

•Worked with operations and facility management, analyzed existing labor agreements to identify areas for operational improvements, operational efficiencies, safety improvements, and cost reductions; identified areas of improvement for non-union represented employee locations also

•Managed the grievance and arbitration process and argued cases on behalf of company during arbitrations

•Overall experience supporting unionized workforces & collective bargaining responsibilities

•Developed contingency plans for work actions and led teams during union campaigns

•Strong ability to communicate to bargaining unit members, non-unionized teammates, and management at all levels

•Leads or assists in investigations of alleged employee wrongdoing and recommend corrective action, as necessary, to front line and senior management

CORE & MAIN, L.P.

Sr. Manager, Labor Relations 2018-2019 (contract job)

•Participated as lead negotiator on bargaining committee during labor negotiations

•Participated in multiple acquisitions and established new working conditions and labor contracts covering multiple labor unions

•Developed and maintained sound employee and labor relations practices

•Monitored union and employee relations at sites to facilitate early issue identification and intervention as needed

•Served as a management representative during interactions with union representatives and leaders in meetings, investigations, grievance hearings, arbitrations, and other union-related activities

•Assisted legal team with maintaining records, preparing reports and composing correspondence for any required governmental filings (such as HSR filings as it related to acquisitions in excess of $84.4M)

•Developed the required framework necessary to ensure compliance with applicable labor laws as it relates to organizing efforts

•Conducted training with company leaders on engaging in employee relations practices to prevent a union from gaining support

•Conducted training with company leaders on labor relations development, practices, and labor contract administration

•Strong understanding of NLRA, FLSA, Title VII, ADA and FMLA

•Quick learner to understand and be able to articulate all Company policies and procedures

•Trained operations management in union avoidance and led a team during union campaigns

GKN AEROSPACE, INC. 2017-2018 (Company slated to fold and began outsourcing LR work)

Sr. Manager, Labor Relations

•Lead negotiator for labor agreements

•Manage a team of four Labor Relations Representatives and one Labor Attorney

•Responsible for six labor agreements that covered over 1500 employees, in Missouri, Alabama, and Florida

•Investigated incidents of employee misconduct

•Represented the company in all labor relations matters, including the grievance and arbitration process

•Researched current labor laws as it applied to administering labor contracts

•Trained and developed new supervisors on contract administration

•Developed and ensured healthy and strong working relationships with union leadership

•Served as a Continuous Improvement Leader and LEAN Trainer

AMEREN MISSOURI 2013-2017 (part of RIF due to company reorganization/outsourcing)

Sr. Employee and Labor Relations Manager

•Lead negotiator for labor agreements

•Responsible for 13 labor agreements covering approximately 1800 employees

•Administered and interpreted various labor agreements, administered grievance procedures, and provided labor relations support during contract negotiations

•Acted as a liaison between department managers and union representatives

•Managed a team of Labor Relations Supervisors and Representatives

•Managed all non-union employee’s grievances, and conducted thorough investigations, follow-up, and recommended corrective action

•Investigated incidents of employee misconduct and wrongdoing; recommended appropriate corrective action that remained consistent with the company’s past practices

•Resolved employee issues and handled complaints to protect the general interests

•Evaluated the success of newly implemented Human Resources programs

•Advised department managers on how to coach employees, specifically when dealing with extraordinary situations

•Researched labor laws, healthcare regulations, and industry best practices

•Served as a Continuous Improvement Leader and LEAN Trainer

•Strong understanding of NLRA, FLSA, Title VII, ADA and FMLA

•Quick to understand all Company policies and procedures

Labor Relations Supervisor

•Responsible for negotiating labor agreements

•Researched labor law, bargaining procedures, economic data, and wage data for common industries and states

•Resolved disputes, grievances, and potential strikes

•Worked with mediators and arbitrators to determine the conditions and language of new labor agreements

•Managed grievances, arbitrations, and labor regulations

•Resolved employee and union conflict with winning solutions for both parties

•Prepared witnesses for labor arbitrations

•Worked and established teams, as necessary, during Union campaigns, and led teams as required/necessary

ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT 2008 - 2013

Patrol / Police Officer

Patrol assigned areas to prevent and detect crimes

Respond to emergency and non-emergency calls for service and take action as necessary

Investigate and report crimes, accidents, and suspicious activities

Arrest and detain criminal suspects and law offenders

Issue citations for violations of traffic and other laws

Testify in court regarding cases

Preserve crime scenes and collect evidence

Complete necessary paperwork, including writing detailed reports and filling out forms

Coordinate with other law enforcement professionals, including detectives and court officials

Provide public safety information and education to the community

Perform physical and firearms training regularly

UNITED PARCEL SERVICE, INC. 1997-2008 (company reorganized and role moved to Texas)

Labor Relations Manager

•Participated as lead negotiator during labor negotiations, primarily supplementals deriving from the Master

•Researched and provided information needed to negotiate new supplemental labor agreements

•Participate in National Master Agreement negotiations, as needed

•Interpreted and administered labor contracts with respect to employee wages, salaries, pensions, grievances, and healthcare

•Handled dispute resolution as the company worked to reduce cost and improve efficiency

•Was responsible for over 300 bargaining unit employees and recommended progressive discipline for cases on wrongdoing or employee misconduct

•Managed arbitrations and worked closely with outside counsel to prepare and argue arbitration cases

•Argued disciplinary / language interpretation grievances that were taken to a panel hearing for resolution

•Trained front line management in union avoidance and was lead person during union campaigns

Business Manager

•Managed 75 full-time delivery drivers and 3 full-time management professionals

•Planned and executed all aspects of the delivery center, with focus on safety, service, and on-road production & performance

•Submitted monthly reports to the district staff and area vice president

•Identified and analyzed problem areas and provided strategic resolutions

•Conducted research and supported property custodians in sustaining 100% accountability of equipment worth more than $2M

Operations Supervisor

•Created, tracked, and modified over 33 delivery routes on a daily basis to best identify cost savings and mileage reduction

•Responsible for 120 direct reports who handled 35,000 delivery parcels on a daily basis, with a customer base of over 9,000

•Monitored and tracked safety performance, which enhanced employee safety through employee involvement and management commitment

•Trained new drivers in all safety, service, and performance methods needed to complete their daily tasks the most effective and efficient way possible

Package Handler

• Part-time package handler responsible for personal safety, service to customers, and an acceptable level of productivity

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, RESERVE, E-4 1997-2005 (Honorable Discharge)

Corporal, Bridgeton, MO – 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Division

•Streamlined reporting procedures and reduced action cycle time by over 50% by assisting in the implementation of new work teams

•Assisted in design of new publications maintenance system, resulting in top readiness testing scores

•Worked under guidelines of Operations Enduring Freedom from 2001 - 2005

EDUCATION

Maryville University, Saint Louis, MO Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Sociology

Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, AL Masters of Business Administration (MBA)

CERTIFICATIONS

Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, New York, NY Contract Administrations Certification

Contact this candidate