*Must reside on CA, OR, WA, AZ, NV or CO*
Purpose:
The Labor Relations Manager works as part of a team of labor relations professionals and reports to the Vice President of Labor Relations. This role supports labor relations for assigned operations in California, including contract administration, grievance handling, arbitration preparation, collective bargaining support, labor-management relations, and union benefit matters. The Labor Relations Manager advises HR and Operations leaders on issues involving represented associates, provides practical recommendations that balance business needs with contractual and legal obligations, and partners with internal stakeholders and counsel to resolve disputes.
Job Responsibilities:
- Serves as subject matter expert on matters arising under collective bargaining agreements and advises business partners on all issues arising under collective bargaining agreements, labor law, multiemployer benefit plans and other issues involving unionized associates.
- Handles grievance administration, including reviewing facts and evidence, preparing case summaries, assessing arbitration risk, developing recommendations, supporting grievance hearings, drafting responses, and identifying resolution strategies.
- Represents the Company's position in grievance meetings, labor-management meetings, mediations, and other union-related discussions and partners with internal and external labor counsel on arbitration cases.
- Prepares arbitration matters internally, including factual investigation, timeline development, exhibit collection, and coordination with internal or external counsel.
- Supports chief labor negotiator in collective bargaining, including preparation and analysis of proposals, meeting preparation, note-taking, and implementation of ratified agreements.
- Builds and maintains productive relationships with union business agents, stewards, HR partners, operations leaders, and other stakeholders to support constructive labor-management relationships and proactive issue resolution.
- Maintains organized and timely documentation in appropriate systems, including grievance files, case records, correspondence, evidence, settlement documentation, arbitration materials, and other labor relations records.
- Provides clear, concise, and complete written communications to stakeholders, including issue summaries, recommendations, risk assessments, meeting summaries, training follow-up, and executive updates.
- Manages multiple locations and competing priorities while maintaining strong organization, responsiveness, follow-through, and judgment.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Education/Certification:
- Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Industrial Relations, Business, or a related field.
- Labor relations certification, human resources certification, or prior experience in labor law, labor negotiations, grievance arbitration, union dispute resolution, or collective bargaining preferred.
Experience:
- 5-7 years labor relations, labor negotiations, grievance administration, union dispute resolution, human resources in a unionized environment, or a related field.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
- Strong working knowledge of labor relations principles, collective bargaining agreements, grievance and arbitration processes, unfair labor practice issues, union organizing activity, and labor-management relations.
- Knowledge of employment and labor laws, including the National Labor Relations Act and related federal, state, and local employment laws.
- Understanding of employee benefits, multiemployer benefit plans, union benefit arrangements, and how CBA language affects benefit administration preferred.
- Ability to independently research issues, review applicable CBAs and policies, and develop a recommended answer before escalating for additional guidance.
- Strong written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear issue summaries, grievance responses, settlement recommendations, leadership updates, training materials, meeting summaries, and executive-level communications.
- Strong verbal communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex labor relations concepts to HR partners, operations leaders, senior leaders, union representatives, and outside counsel.
- Ability to partner effectively with stakeholders while maintaining appropriate Labor Relations boundaries and ensuring local HR and operations teams remain accountable for their responsibilities.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, locations, deadlines, and urgent issues while maintaining organization, follow-through, and sound judgment.
- Ability to assess when a matter should be resolved, escalated, settled, advanced to arbitration, or handled internally before engaging outside counsel.
- Good judgment is required for this position as there may be times when direct supervision may not be immediately available.
Where you will work:
Remote Role:
- Must reside in California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada or Arizona.
- This position is classified as remote where the associate will perform remote work from their primary residence. Remote associates are welcome to work from the office but are not required to do so. While remote associates are not required to work from an office on a regular basis, they may be required to come to the office or other UNFI locations for necessary business reasons or if directed to do so by their manager.
Travel:
- Travel is required up to 75% for this position.
- Must be able to travel frequently by plane and/or car to company locations, union meetings, arbitrations, negotiations, trainings, and other business-related meetings as needed.
Physical Environment/Demands:
- Most work is performed in a temperature-controlled office environment.
- Incumbent may sit for long periods of time at a desk or computer terminal.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
- Incumbent may use calculators, keyboards, telephones, and other office equipment in the course of a normal workday.
- Stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may be required in the completion of job duties.
- Ability to lift up to 20 pounds and to stand, walk, bend, stoop, twist and turn frequently.
- Ability to do repetitious arm, wrist and hand movements required for working in an office environment including typing
- May require warehouse floor presence with proper PPE
#LI-REMOTE
Compensation: UNFI anticipates paying the above-referenced pay rate (or within the above-referenced pay range) for this position. Actual Pay, where applicable, will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, education, experience, training, and any requirements under applicable collective bargaining agreements. UNFI is committed to transparency in pay in compliance with applicable state and local laws.
Benefits: For Washington positions (or positions that may be performed remotely from Washington), https://www.unfi.com/jobs-more-info-wa.html for Washington-specific paid time off details.
Candidates hired into this position will also be eligible to participate in the following benefits programs: Paid Time Off; Sick Time; paid holidays and parental leave; 401K Program; medical, dental, vision, life, and accidental death/dismemberment insurance; short-term and long-term disability insurance program, Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Savings Account, subject to meeting the eligibility requirements and the terms and conditions of these programs, and subject to any requirements under applicable collective bargaining agreements.
UNFI's compensation, benefits, and paid time off policies are subject to change in the Company's sole discretion, consistent with applicable law. This job posting should not be construed as an offer of employment with certain terms, nor should it be construed as a guaranteed minimum.
Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act .
