Attendees will have the opportunity to widen their skill set enough to be able to hit the ground running to meet the challenges of most labor-management environments. Among the areas to be explored will be the groundwork and guidelines for positive labor management relationships along with an examination of the roles of the Union and its representatives/Stewards as well as the management side of the equation/relationship and what is permitted and forbidden by each. This will be supplemented with understanding the application of the “Reserved Rights Doctrine” more commonly referred to as management rights and how this impacts the concepts and applications of “past practice and precedent” in all of their many forms including how to reverse them and seniority in the day-to-day application of the CBA. Attendees will also delve into the meaning of “work now, grieve later” and its opposite of “self-help remedy.” Attendees will also be exposed to the meaning and application of the concepts of just cause and due process, along with the standards to establish the various levels of proof for disciplinary matters. Additionally, the many and varied forms of seniority and their applications will be explored.

Areas Covered

Course Level - All levels

Who Should Attend

All levels of Managers, Supervisors, Human Resources, Employee Relations, Labor Relations, Attorney, and Union Officers/Representatives/Stewards, all levels of Law Enforcement or Security staff. 

Why Should You Attend

Even seasoned HR professionals recognize that Labor Relations requires a very different and special skill set. So, if you have not worked with a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in a Unionized workplace or if you have but want more specific training or to update your knowledge base then this survival crash course is for you.

Are you aware of the essential elements required to establish and maintain a positive labor-management relationship? Do you know the basics of how to read a CBA like a book and how the “Reserved Rights Doctrine” (AKA Management Rights) affects what you can and cannot do under your CBA? What about the differences between past practice and precedent, or the many ways either can be established or reversed? Do you truly understand and practice effective grievance processing and especially the application of the “work now, grieve later v self-help remedy” concepts? Are you familiar with and can you correctly apply the tests for just cause and due process in disciplinary matters? And what about the proper application of the appropriate standards of proof for disciplinary matters? Can you explain the Union Steward’s role within the labor management context? And let’s not forget about the application of the various forms of seniority because it’s not just for old folks! And no survival crash course would be complete without your gaining an understanding of jurisdictional issues between various groups in the workplace and their impact on the CBA and the labor-management relationship as a whole.