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Job Description
Marketing Statement
Ride BART to a satisfying career that lets you both: 1) make a difference to Bay Area residents, and 2) enjoy excellent pay, benefits, and employment stability. BART is looking for people who like to be challenged, work in a fast-paced environment, and have a passion for connecting riders to work, school and other places they need to go. BART offers a competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, paid time off, and the CalPERS retirement program.
Job Summary
Non-Rep Payband N07
Annual Salary: $ 132,346.00 (Minimum) - $200,505.00 (Maximum)
*Initial negotiable annual salary will be between $ 132,346.00 - $165,409.12 to commensurate with education and experience
Reports to
Manager of Labor Relations
Current Assignment
The Principal Labor Relations Representative is responsible for administering the labor relations program, including interpreting collective bargaining agreements and providing advice to management staff on contractual obligations, disciplinary actions, negotiations and impacts bargaining, dispute settlement, and grievance procedures. The positions will also be responsible for consulting with union representatives, and preparing a variety of labor relations documents and reports, including settlement agreements, memoranda of understanding, side letters, statistical reports and related documentation. The positions may be responsible for supervising staff.
The ideal candidate(s) will demonstrate the following criteria beyond the minimum qualifications:
- Interpreting and applying contract obligations contained in collective bargaining agreements.
- Principles and practices of negotiations and conflict resolution.
- Experience supporting public sector labor relations programs including disciplinary - procedures, grievance handling, and preparation of disciplinary hearings and arbitrations.
- The ability to work effectively in a diverse transportation and/or public sector labor environment.
- Impasse resolution techniques including mediation, rights and interest arbitration.
Selection Process
Applications will be screened to assure that minimum qualifications are met. Those applicants who meet minimum qualifications will then be referred to the hiring department for the completion of further selection processes. Screening of preferred skills and experiences beyond the minimum qualifications may be applied.
The selection process for this position may include a skills/performance demonstration, a written examination, and a panel and/or individual interview.
The successful candidate must have an employment history demonstrating reliability and dependability; provide copies of certificates, diplomas or other documents as required by law, including those establishing his/her right to work in the U. S; pass a pre-employment medical examination which may include a drug and alcohol screen, and which is specific to the essential job functions and requirements. Pre-employment processing will also include a background check. (Does not apply to current full-time District employees unless specific job requires additional evaluations).
Examples of Duties
Participates in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies and priorities; recommends and implements resulting policies and procedures.
Participates in the development of policies and procedures; monitors work activities to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures; makes recommendations for changes and improvements to existing standards and practices.
Identifies opportunities for improving service delivery methods and procedures; identifies resource needs; reviews with appropriate management staff; implements improvements.
Administers labor relations agreements; interprets contents of agreements and provides advice to management staff on contractual obligations including disciplinary actions, negotiations, dispute settlement and grievance procedures.
Prepares a variety of labor relations documents and reports including settlement agreements, memorandums of understanding, side agreements, statistical reports and related documentation.
Prepares or assists in preparation for arbitration, grievance hearings, and Skelley (pre-disciplinary due process) hearings; performs related investigations, including but not limited to witness interviews or advising managers in the performance of investigations; prepares documents or other physical evidence for use in such proceedings; coordinates the scheduling of witnesses and materials to be used or presented; questions and prepares witnesses; coordinates activities with other divisions or legal counsel as required.
Participates in and may perform functions of a District spokesperson in contract negotiations as assigned; drafts and analyzes proposals and performs or obtains related research as assigned; trains bargaining team members; reviews notes taken at bargaining sessions to ensure accuracy; may need to bring hard copies of proposal documents to offsite contract negotiations.
Provides staff assistance to the Labor Relations Manager; participates on a variety of committees; prepares and presents staff reports and other correspondence as appropriate and necessary.
Identifies training needs; develops labor relations training programs; trains supervisors or supervises others in the performance of such duties, as assigned by the Labor Relations Manager.
Evaluates unit determination issues; may respond to union or coordinate response with Legal Counsel as appropriate.
May plan, prioritize, assign, review and participate in the work of staff responsible for labor relations program operations and activities within the Labor Relations Department; ensures work quality and adherence to established policies and procedures.
Coordinates labor relations activities with those of other divisions and outside agencies and organizations.
Attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of labor relations.
Minimum Qualifications
Education
A Bachelor’s degree in industrial/labor relations, public administration, business administration, human resources management or a closely related field from an accredited college or university. A graduate degree in industrial or labor relations is desirable.
Experience
Four (4) years of (full-time equivalent) verifiable professional labor relations program experience, which must have included at least two (2) years in contract negotiations on one or more assigned labor contracts.
Substitution
Additional professional experience as outlined above may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis. A college degree is preferred.
Other Requirements
Must be able to work long hours for extended periods.
Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge of :- Operations, services, and activities of a labor relations program.
- Statutory law and common law rules of labor contract construction and administration.
- Rules of evidence that commonly apply in contract administration matters.
- Methods and techniques of collecting and analyzing data.
- Methods and techniques of statistical analysis.
- Principles and practices of labor relations management.
- Classic and interest based collective bargaining theory and procedures.
- Methods and techniques of developing labor relations training programs.
- Principles and practices of negotiations, grievance/arbitration procedures and conflict resolution.
- Impasse resolution techniques including mediation, rights and interest arbitration.
- Principles and practices of program development and administration.
- Government institutional design and the influence it has on public sector labor relations outcomes.
- Basic methods of organizing for and carrying out litigation in arbitration including, but not limited to, case investigation and design, calendaring and monitoring of relevant deadlines, identification, use of or differentiation of relevant laws and case precedents, presentation of physical, demonstrative, and testimonial evidence, preparation and presentation of oral and written argument, making motions and objections, conducting cross examination, and other related activities.
- Relevant laws and regulations as they relate to the labor contracts (e.g. FMLA and attendance management, FLSA, overtime pay, etc.) and potential litigations brought forth by employees.
- Current office software including oral presentation software, spreadsheet software, workflow software, and word processing software.
- Principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
- Related Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
Skill in:- Performing a variety of professional level duties in support of the District’s labor relations programs.
- Organizing and writing highly technical and complex memoranda, contract language, settlement documents, reports, and proposals, while assessing the organizational operating and political context in which the written material will apply, and appropriately anticipating questions that may arise so that they are clearly answered in writing.
- Interpreting and applying contract obligations contained in bargaining agreements.
- Working effectively with labor unions.
- Researching and evaluating labor relations issues.
- Conducting labor relations training programs.
- Supervising, organizing, and reviewing the work of lower-level staff.
- Supervising and coordinating labor relations programs.
- Interpreting and explaining District labor relations policies and procedures.
- Maintaining accurate files and records.
- Communicating clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
- Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
Equal Employment Opportunity GroupBox1
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 and above), religion, national origin (including language use restrictions), disability (mental and physical, including HIV and AIDS), ancestry, marital status, military status, veteran status, medical condition (cancer/genetic characteristics and information), or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.
The BART Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate persons with disabilities or for religious reasons. Please advise the Human Resources Department of any special needs in advance of the examination by emailing at least 5 days before your examination date at employment@bart.gov .
Qualified veterans may be eligible to obtain additional veteran's credit in the selection process for this recruitment (effective Jan. 1, 2013). To obtain the credit, veterans must attach to the application a DD214 discharge document or proof of disability and complete/submit the Veteran's Preference Application no later than the closing date of the posting. For more information about this credit please go to the Veteran's Preference Policy and Application link at www.bart.gov/jobs .
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) prides itself in offering best in class benefits packages to employees of the District. Currently, the following benefits may be available to employees in this job classification.
Highlights- Medical Coverage (or $350/month if opted out)
- Dental Coverage
- Vision Insurance (Basic and Enhanced Plans Available)
- Retirement Plan through the CA Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)
- 2% @ 55 (Classic Members)
- 2% @ 62 (PEPRA Members)
- 3% at 50 (Safety Members - Classic)
- 2.7% @ 57 (Safety Members - PEPRA)
- Reciprocity available for existing members of many other public retirement systems (see BART website and/or CalPERS website for details)
- 6.65% employer contribution up to annual maximum of $1,868.65
Closing Date/Time: Continuous -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
Show moreThe BART story began in 1946. It began not by governmental fiat, but as a concept gradually evolving at informal gatherings of business and civic leaders on both sides of the San Francisco Bay. Facing a heavy post-war migration to the area and its consequent automobile boom, these people discussed ways of easing the mounting congestion that was clogging the bridges spanning the Bay. In 1947, a joint Army-Navy review Board concluded that another connecting link between San Francisco and Oakland would be needed in the years ahead to prevent intolerable congestion on the Bay Bridge. The link? An underwater tube devoted exclusively to high-speed electric trains.
Since 1911, visionaries had periodically brought up this Jules Verne concept. But now, pressure for a traffic solution increased with the population. In 1951, the State Legislature created the 26-member San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit Commission, comprised of representatives from each of the nine counties which touch the Bay. The Commission's charge was to study the Bay Area's long range transportation needs in the context of environmental problems and then recommend the best solution.
The Commission advised, in its final report in 1957, that any transportation plan must be coordinated with the area's total plan for future development. Since no development plan existed, the Commission prepared one itself. The result of their thoroughness is a master plan which did much to bring about coordinated planning in the Bay Area, and which was adopted a decade later by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).
The BART Concept is Born
The Commission's least-cost solution to traffic tie-ups was to recommend forming a five-county rapid transit district, whose mandate would be to build and operate a high-speed rapid rail network linking major commercial centers with suburban sub-centers.The Commission stated that, "If the Bay Area is to be preserved as a fine place to live and work, a regional rapid transit system is essential to prevent total dependence on automobiles and freeways."
Thus was born the environmental concept underlying BART. Acting on the Commission's recommendations, in 1957, the Legislature formed the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, comprising the five counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo. At this time, the District was granted a taxing power of five cents per $100 of assessed valuation. It also had authority to levy property taxes to support a general obligation bond issue, if approved by District voters. The State Legislature lowered the requirement for voter approval from 66 percent to 60 percent.
Between 1957 and 1962, engineering plans were developed for a system that would usher in a new era in rapid transit. Electric trains would run on grade-separated right-of-ways, reaching maximum speeds of 75-80 mph, averaging perhaps 45 mph, including station stops. Advanced transit cars, with sophisticated suspensions, braking and propulsion systems, and luxurious interiors, would be strong competition to "King Car " in the Bay Area. Stations would be pleasant, conveniently located, and striking architectural enhancements to their respective on-line communities.
BART employees in the 1970s.
Hundreds of meetings were held in the District communities to encourage local citizen participation in the development of routes and station locations. By midsummer, 1961, the final plan was submitted to the supervisors of the five District counties for approval. San Mateo County Supervisors were cool to the plan. Citing the high costs of a new system-plus adequate existing service from Southern Pacific commuter trains - they voted to withdraw their county from the District in December 1961.
With the District-wide tax base thus weakened by the withdrawal of San Mateo County, Marin County was forced to withdraw in early 1962 because its marginal tax base could not adequately absorb its share of BART's projected cost. Another important factor in Marin's withdrawal was an engineering controversy over the feasibility of carrying trains across the Golden Gate Bridge.
BART had started with a 16-member governing Board of Directors apportioned on county population size: four from Alameda and San Francisco Counties, three from Contra Costa and San Mateo, and two from Marin. When the District was reduced to three counties, the Board was reduced to 11 members: four from San Francisco and Alameda, and three from Contra Costa. Subsequently, in 1965, the District's enabling legislation was changed to apportion the BART Board with four Directors from each county, thus giving Contra Costa its fourth member on a 12-person Board. Two directors from each county, hence forth, were appointed by the County Board of Supervisors. The other two directors were appointed by committees of mayors of each county (with the exception of the City and County of San Francisco, whose sole mayor made these appointments).
The five-county plan was quickly revised to a three-county plan emphasizing rapid transit between San Francisco and the East Bay cities and suburbs of Contra Costa and Alameda counties. The new plan, elaborately detailed and presented as the "BART Composite Report, " was approved by supervisors of the three counties in July 1962, and placed on the ballot for the following November general election.
The plan required approval of 60 percent of the District's voters. It narrowly passed with a 61.2 percent vote District-wide, much to the surprise of many political experts who were confident it would fail. Indeed, one influential executive was reported to have said: "If I'd known the damn thing would have passed, I'd never have supported it. "
The voters approved a $792 million bond issue to finance a 71.5 mile high-speed transit system, consisting of 33 stations serving 17 communities in the three counties. The proposal also included another needed transit project: rebuilding 3.5 miles of the San Francisco Municipal Railway. The new line would link muni streetcar lines directly with BART and Market Street stations, and four new Muni stations would be built.
The additional cost of the transbay tube -- estimated at $133 million -- was to come from bonds issued by the California Toll Bridge Authority and secured by future Bay Area Bridge revenues. The additional cost of rolling stock, estimated at $71 million, was to be funded primarily from bonds issued against future operating revenues. Thus, the total cost of the system, as of 1962, was projected at $996 million. It would be the largest single public works project ever undertaken in the U.S. by the local citizenry.
After the election, engineers immediately started work on the final system designs, only to be halted by a taxpayer's suit filed against the District a month later. The validity of the bond election, and the legality of the District itself, were challenged. While the court ruled in favor of the District on both counts, six months of litigation cost $12 million in construction delays. This would be the first of many delays from litigation and time-consuming negotiations involving 166 separate agreements reached with on-line cities, counties, and other special districts. The democratic processes of building a new transit system would prove to be major cost factors that, however necessary, were not foreseen.
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