Labor Relations Analyst

Washington State Legislature

Office of State Legislative Labor Relations

Exempt Recruitment Announcement

The Office of State Legislative Labor Relations has an immediate opening for a Labor Relations Analyst (Nonpartisan). The ideal candidate is excited about the challenges of supporting negotiations on behalf of an organization new to labor relations, is ready to perform a wide range of duties, and has demonstrated experience in labor relations and identifying strategic, mutually beneficial approaches to conflict resolution.

The candidate is also a resourceful problem solver who is enthusiastic about building relationships with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

The Office of State Legislative Labor Relations (OSLLR) is a newly established legislative agency that provides strategic, customer-focused labor relations services across the Legislature and its affiliated agencies. We are a small office of highly motivated and creative problem solvers.

Our workplace is situated in the beautiful city of Olympia, Washington, on the Capitol campus, within a short walk of various restaurants, downtown, and the Olympia waterfront.

This position reports to the Director of OSLLR and is responsible for assisting the Legislature and legislative agencies with all aspects of public sector labor relations. Under the guidance of the Director, the position will ultimately negotiate collective bargaining agreements, represent the employer in PERC proceedings and grievance processes, serve in the Director’s absence on behalf of OSLLR, assist with research and costing of proposals, and provide expert-level advice and guidance to legislative appointing authorities on all labor relations issues.

The Labor Relations Analyst will have a unique and broad set of responsibilities with legislative-wide internal impact, encompassing a range of tasks from routine to highly complex. This position is designed for candidates interested in developing into a skilled labor relations negotiator. The selected individual will receive training and mentorship to acquire and apply essential knowledge of the collective bargaining processes.

The goal is to prepare the candidate to independently facilitate effective collective bargaining and labor relations activities.

• Serve as lead or second chair negotiator for bargaining with legislative employee unions; prepare materials needed for negotiations, including legislative proposals and counter proposals, notes of collective bargaining sessions, letters, memoranda, reports, spreadsheets, and other administrative documents;

• Foster a positive relationship with employees and labor organizations representing legislative positions;

• Advise and counsel management stakeholders regarding federal laws, state laws, and local labor laws, policies, and guidelines; current and emerging issues; and strategies for supporting performance, collective bargaining, discipline, and grievances;

• Represent the employer in grievance and PERC proceedings;

• Conduct a variety of surveys including compensation and benefits surveys; gather and analyze data; and prepare applicable recommendations and reports;

• Participate in developing strategy for labor negotiations;

• Prepare or assist in the preparation of presentations to legislative committees;

• Prepare and provide training on labor relations topics to legislative employees and managers;

• Facilitate labor-management committee meetings;

• Interact with diverse work groups in a manner that involves tact, respect, flexibility, and the highest level of professionalism;

• Assure objectivity, quality, and accuracy in the work of others, and be able to draft, review and edit documents, spreadsheets, correspondence, and publications for correctness, grammar, and adherence to agency policies and procedures;

• Assist with responses to public disclosure requests;

• May conduct fact-finding interviews and investigations of charges of employee misconduct, grievances filed by employees, and allegations of violations of the collective bargaining agreement; prepare reports of findings and recommendations for resolution, and prepare appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary documents; and

• Serve in the Director’s absence.

• Knowledge in Change Management methodologies and/or certification, including leading, planning, and implementing organizational changes, with key responsibilities like creating strategies, assessing impact, developing communication plans, and managing stakeholder engagement to ensure smooth adoption and minimize resistance.

• Developing and delivering training programs for employees, including designing curricula, conducting workshops, assessing training needs, and evaluating program effectiveness. Including knowledge in training best practices and adult learning principles.

• Class and…