Labor Relations Officer

The City of Sacramento requires that all applications be submitted online; paper and email applications are not accepted. To apply for the Labor Relations Officer position, please use the following link:

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/saccity/jobs/4476059/labor-relations-officer

THE POSITION
With supervisor approval, incumbents may be eligible for intermittent remote work; however, they must physically reside within the Sacramento region or have the ability to regularly report to a City of Sacramento physical worksite with little notice.

The City of Sacramento’s Human Resources Department is seeking a knowledgeable and motivated Labor Relations professional to join their dynamic team as a Labor Relations Officer. Labor Relations is the primary contact between the City’s twelve (12) autonomous departments and the recognized labor organizations (i.e., unions) which represent City employees.

IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT
The ideal candidate will possess:

·       Communication skills capable of articulating both the interests of the City and their own understanding of an issue to ensure clarity and consistency in their interactions

·       The ability to build and maintain trusting interpersonal relationships by utilizing effective conflict resolution techniques

·       The capacity to function as a diplomatic representative of the City in collective bargaining meetings, discipline hearings, arbitration, and other similar venues.

·       Functional knowledge of relevant labor related state and federal statutes and regulations including, but not limited to, the California Peace Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (POBR), the Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights Act (FBOR), employee rights provided under NLRB v. Weingarten, Inc., and the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA).

Under general direction, the Labor Relations Officer performs advanced, professional labor relations work; provides technical assistance and advises department managers on disciplinary matters and contract interpretations; performs labor relations research and analysis; prepares and presents grievance and interest arbitration cases; helps assure Citywide compliance with labor relations contractual agreements, City employment policies, and applicable Federal, State, and local laws, ordinances, and codes; and serves as chief negotiator with assigned bargaining units.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This advanced journey-level classification is populated with multiple incumbents. The Labor Relations Officer performs employee relations duties working with significant independent judgment toward established goals. Labor Relations Officer is distinguished from the next higher classification of Labor Relations Manager in that the latter is primarily defined by its supervisory/management role and general responsibility for day-to-day work with departments and contract administration. Labor Relations Officer is distinguished from the next lower-level classification of Labor Relations Analyst in that the latter does not have chief negotiator responsibility and does not independently perform grievance and arbitration related duties.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED
General direction is provided by the Labor Relations Manager. Responsibilities may include supervision of professional, technical, and/or other support positions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all the listed duties and/or may be required to perform related duties as needed:

·       Provides City officials, department managers, and employees with appropriate information, technical assistance, and recommendations regarding a wide variety of labor and personnel management issues; analyzes, interprets, and explains provisions of labor agreements, labor law, and City policies/procedures regarding labor relations issues; coordinates related actions and outcomes with all involved parties as required.

·       Helps assure consistent and uniform application of the disciplinary process Citywide when required; advises department managers and supervisors regarding their options and recommends an appropriate course of action; conducts and participates in fact-finding investigations; evaluates evidence; assists managers in implementing disciplinary actions where needed.

·       Participates in the meet-and-confer process, either during the contract labor negotiation process and/or on individual matters; meets with department managers prior to bargaining sessions in order to identify management concerns and possible proposals; analyzes the impacts and costs of proposals and makes recommendations for City positions; serves as Chief Negotiator at the bargaining table for a specific bargaining session, unit, or other meeting; informs the Labor Relations Manager, Director of Human Resources, City Manager, City Council, and others on the status of the bargaining process as needed.

·       Advises and may represent department managers regarding labor grievances and arbitration cases; investigates issues and proposes remedies; may render decisions on behalf of City management as a Step III grievance officer; develops and conducts training programs for managers, supervisors, and others regarding labor relations issues; recommends the development of labor relations and/or human resources policies and procedures.

·       Plans, assigns, trains, directs, and evaluates the work of subordinate staff, including other Labor Relations professionals, if appropriate.

·       Participates on committees, boards, and/or task forces, if assigned; attends meetings, conferences, and workshops as assigned; may represent the City’s position in front of various boards, commissions, and individuals; prepares complex narrative and statistical reports, correspondence, and other documents; may make presentations to City officials and others; performs special projects.

·       Provides exceptional customer service to those contacted in the course of work.

·       Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual holding this classification.

QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:

·       Principles and practices of modern public administration.

·       Analytical processes and procedures.

·       Federal and State laws pertaining to labor relations and human resources management in the public sector.

·       Advanced principles and practices of collective bargaining and labor contract administration; advanced negotiating strategies, tactics, and impasse procedures; advanced methods of grievance investigation/resolution and arbitration.

·       Advanced principles and practices of human resources management, supervision, and training, including principles of employee discipline.

·       Grievance and arbitration hearing procedures sufficient to prepare and present testimony, argue the case, including the opening and closing statement and examination of witnesses, and draft a post hearing brief.

·       Public relations practices and techniques.

·       Research methods; report writing techniques; statistical concepts and methods.

·       Principles and techniques of project management.

Skill in:

·       Use of modern office equipment, including computers, computer applications, and software.

Ability to:

·       Understand, analyze, interpret, and act upon a variety of complex labor relations and human resources issues in accordance with applicable labor agreements, legal requirements, and policies.

·       Establish and maintain effective working relationships with labor representatives, public officials, public/private agencies, and the general public on a variety of issues.

·       Supervise subordinate personnel, including professional, technical, and clerical staff.

·       Meet critical deadlines; make sound decisions under pressure.

·       Prepare and present complex narrative and statistical reports, correspondence, and other documents.

·       Formulate and draft management contract proposals and/or portions thereof.

·       Communicate effectively verbally and in writing.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
Experience: Three years of experience performing advanced professional employee relations, labor relations, or human resources work.

-AND-

Education: Associate’s degree from an accredited college or university.

Substitution: Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

PROOF OF EDUCATION
Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS
Driver License: The employee is not required to hold a driver license but must be able to arrange reliable and timely transportation through private or public transportation for attendance at off-site meetings, events, and trainings.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
Physical Conditions:

Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; to operate a motor vehicle and visit various City and meeting sites; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person, before groups, and over the telephone. This is primarily a sedentary office classification although standing and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and or operate standard office equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information.

Environmental Conditions:

Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Employees may interact with members of the public or with staff under emotionally stressful conditions while interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures.

Working Conditions:

May be required to attend meetings outside of regular work hours.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE
Please note, the City of Sacramento’s preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.