The Director, Labor Relations provides strategic leadership and oversight for all labor relations activities across B&W
Construction (BWCC) and other designated business units supporting union-affiliated operations. This role serves as
the organization's senior subject matter expert in labor relations, collective bargaining, union strategy, workforce
planning, and labor risk management. The Director partners closely with executive leadership, operations, project
management, and human resources to develop and execute labor relations strategies that support business
objectives while ensuring compliance with labor agreements, labor laws, and regulatory requirements.
The Director is responsible for negotiating and administering collective bargaining agreements such and the NMA,
(National Maintenance Agreement) and the GPPMA, (General Presidents Project Maintenance Agreement) ,
establishing labor strategies for new and existing projects, managing union relationships, resolving labor disputes,
and providing strategic guidance on workforce availability, labor costs, and project labor agreements. The position
also represents the company at regional and national labor-management forums and industry conferences.
Strategic Labor Relations Leadership
- Develop and execute labor relations strategies that align with company operational and business objectives.
- Serve as the primary advisor to executive leadership regarding labor relations matters, labor market conditions, labor risks, and workforce strategies.
- Lead labor relations initiatives across multiple business units, projects, and geographic regions.
- Establish and maintain productive relationships with international, regional, and local union representatives.
Collective Bargaining & Contract Administration
- Serve as chief spokesperson for management during collective bargaining negotiations and labor management discussions.
- Represent the company in negotiations to reconcile opposing positions, secure favorable labor terms, and recommend strategic contract modifications.
- Analyze, interpret, and administer collective bargaining agreements to ensure consistent application and compliance.
- Provide guidance to management regarding contract language, labor obligations, and operational impacts.
- Monitor implementation of policies concerning wages, hours, benefits, and working conditions to ensure compliance with labor agreements.
Project Labor Planning & Workforce Strategy
- Determine applicable local, regional, and national labor agreements for projects throughout the United States.
- Lead negotiation and administration of site-specific Project Labor Agreements (PLAs).
- Collaborate with project management and operations leadership to align work scopes with appropriate craft jurisdictions, including boilermakers, carpenters, ironworkers, laborers, operators, electricians, and other skilled trades.
- Develop labor cost strategies and establish wage rates, per diem structures, travel provisions, and other labor-related project costs.
- Support business development, estimating, and project teams by providing labor analysis during project planning and bid development.
- Partner with customers and project owners to align labor expectations and mitigate workforce-related risks.
Union Workforce Management
- Oversee compliance with hiring hall procedures and referral requirements.
- Coordinate workforce staffing strategies with union representatives to ensure adequate labor availability for project execution.
- Monitor labor market trends, workforce shortages, and industry developments affecting project execution and labor costs.
Dispute Resolution & Compliance
- Lead the resolution of grievances, labor disputes, jurisdictional conflicts, and contract interpretation matters.
- Work directly with project managers, site leadership, and union representatives to proactively address labor concerns before escalation.
- Conduct investigations, recommend resolutions, and represent the company in grievance proceedings, arbitration preparation, and related labor matters.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws, collective bargaining agreements, and company policies.
Industry Representation
- Represent the company at all U.S.-based Boilermaker regional negotiations, regional and national tripartite meetings, and industry labor forums.
- Participate in National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers (NACBE) conferences and other
- industry labor relations organizations.
- . Develop and maintain strategic relationships with labor organizations and industry stakeholders to support business objectives.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead and develop labor relations personnel and provide guidance to HR, operations, and project leadership teams on labor matters.
- Build organizational capability through labor relations training and education programs.
- Develop reporting metrics and provide executive leadership with labor relations analyses, labor cost trends, dispute tracking, and workforce planning data.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Labor Relations, Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial Relations, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive labor relations experience.
- Minimum of 10 years of labor relations leadership experience supporting unionized construction, industrial, energy, or heavy manufacturing environments.
- Significant experience negotiating collective bargaining agreements and managing union relationships.
- Experience supporting large-scale construction or industrial projects utilizing union labor.
Competencies
- Extensive knowledge of labor relations principles, collective bargaining processes, and contract administration.
- Comprehensive understanding of federal and state labor laws, including the National Labor Relations Act and applicable construction industry labor regulations.
- Strong knowledge of multi-employer bargaining structures, project labor agreements, hiring hall systems, and construction industry labor practices.
- Demonstrated experience working with unionized construction trades under agreements such as the National
- Maintenance Agreement (NMA) and related industry agreements.
- Expertise in workforce planning, labor cost modeling, and labor risk mitigation.
- Exceptional negotiation, mediation, conflict resolution, and relationship management skills.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to align labor strategies with operational and financial objectives.
- Proven leadership capabilities, including the ability to influence senior leaders and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
- Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to travel extensively to project sites, negotiations, labor meetings, and industry events.
