Labor Relations Negotiator

King County   Seattle, WA   Full-time     Human Resources
Posted on September 21, 2024
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Salary

$124,488.00 - $157,809.60 Annually

Location

Chinook Building 401 5th Avenue Seattle, WA

Job Type

Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week

Job Number

2024SWMP22819

Department

EXEC - Executive's Office

Division

Ofc of Labor Relations

Opening Date

09/20/2024

Closing Date

10/20/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

FLSA

Exempt

Bargaining Unit

Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines

Full- or Part-Time

Full Time

Hours/Week

40 hours/week

Summary



The King County Office of Labor Relations is seeking an experienced and collaborative professional to join our team as a Labor Negotiator. This is an excellent opportunity to join the Office of Labor Relations and play a role in Executive Constantine's goal to be "the best-run government" by supporting progressive labor and employee relations. This position will serve as the County's spokesperson in negotiating and administering complex labor contracts, including advising on the interpretation and application of the contract and conducting grievance hearings. In addition, this position may provide support in administrative hearings involving unfair labor practices, bargaining unit clarification, union representation proceedings, classification appeals, grievance and interest arbitration hearings. This position also serves as a strategic advisor to management on labor and employment laws, personnel matters, contract administration and participates in briefing senior management and elected officials on labor policies and complex and/or county-wide labor relations issues.

This position will report directly to the Manager of Labor Relations and have extensive contact with all levels of County management, elected County Officials, interagency professionals, labor union representatives, and legal counsel.

ABOUT KING COUNTY
With 2.2 million residents in 39 cities and unincorporated areas, King County is the nation's 13th-largest county. It also has one of the most diverse populations in the United States. As the only county in the United States named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant community with residents who represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that values the artistic and social traditions of many cultures. King County is changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence.

The County continues to build on an enduring legacy of shared values of equity an d social justice, employee engagement, innovative thinking, and continuous improvement. If you share King County Executive Dow Constantine's mission to cultivate and maintain collaborative working relationships with our labor partners, employing innovative and creative solutions to challenges, to achieving just and sustainable results for all this job is for you.

ABOUT THE OFFICE OF LABOR RELATIONS
The Office of Labor Relations (OLR), is an arm of the Executive Office with approximately 16 employees, the majority are Labor Negotiators who negotiate and help administer the County's 80 Labor Agreements covering approximately 12,500 of employees. To learn more about OLR, please check out our website at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/executive/labor- relations.aspx

Job Duties



Successful candidates for this position will, at a minimum, be able to clearly demonstrate skill and ability to:

Provide strategic and tactical input on:
  • The development of proposed labor policies for recommendation to the King County Executive and/or King County Council. Includes preparation and presentation of briefing materials to the Executive, Executive Committees, County Council and Council Committees and staff.
Serve as the spokesperson on complex labor contracts by:
  • Formulating strategy and coordinating resources to present the County's interest in labor negotiations, advising departments and Executive Leadership on contract interpretation and application.
  • Negotiating labor contracts and Memorandum of Agreement with unions that represent County employees.
Serve as a strategic advisor to King County departments by:
  • Consulting with management and HR professionals on labor and employment law and contract administration concerning a wide range of personnel matters, including but not limited to, performance management issues and employee disciplines.
  • Formulating strategy and coordinating resources to present the County's interest in mediation, arbitration, grievances and grievance arbitration, unfair labor practices, and state and federal agency proceedings.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

  • Demonstrated experience with labor contract administration and labor/management committees. Familiarity with negotiation, mediation and other forms of pre-litigation conflict resolution.
  • Experience applying labor and employment law and consulting with clients and stakeholders on labor and employment issues.
  • Experience conducting research, assistance with preparing exhibits and preparing cases for arbitration. A track record of successful collaboration with clients and an array of stakeholders.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills.
  • Can adapt as necessary, while working in a multi-faceted and continuously changing environment.
  • An interest in and commitment to continually improving how they approach work.
The most qualified applicants will be able to demonstrate experience as the lead spokesperson negotiating and administering complex labor agreements for organizations with multiple stakeholders (public officials, department directors, employees and labor unions). The most qualified applicants will also have public sector experience in the representation of clients in labor law hearings.

Supplemental Information



Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our " True North ", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County provides a generous employee benefits package including comprehensive health benefits, paid parental leave, and paid time off to volunteer. For details, see: https://www.kingcounty.gov/audience/employees/careers/why-work- here.aspx?

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply:
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, or if you have questions, please contact the HR professional listed on this job announcement.

Who May Apply
This position is open to all qualified candidates.

Application Process
The following items are required to be considered for this position:
  • An electronic application through www.kingcounty.gov/jobs or www.governmentjobs.com (use the "Apply" link) including work history and position duties.
  • An attached resume.
  • An attached letter of interest/cover letter.
  • Responses to supplemental questions. Do not copy and paste your resume or resume sections as Supplemental Question responses. If you do and the do not directly answer the question, this will be considered an incomplete application.
Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

Work schedule
The normal work schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week. This position is not subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime eligible, and the incumbent will be required to work the hours necessary to meet position responsibilities. The selected candidate must work on-site in the Labor Relations Office at least three (3) full days per week.

Union affiliation
This position is not represented by a labor union.

Contact
For more information about this position, please contact seth.watson@kingcounty.gov .

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage: King County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members
  • Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
  • Retirement: King County employees are eligible to participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
  • Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
  • 12paid holidays each year plus twopersonal holidays
  • Generous vacation and paid sick leave
  • Paid parental,family and medical, and volunteer leaves
  • Flexible Spending Account
  • Wellness programs
  • Onsite activity centers
  • Employee Giving Program
  • Employee assistance programs
  • Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
  • Training and career development programs
For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page .

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position.Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.