Labor Relations Specialist

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Work Tasks

LABOR RELATIONS SPECIALISTS prepare information for management to use when a collective bargaining agreement is up for negotiation. They negotiate contracts, compensation rates, benefits, and working conditions between workers and managers. Labor relations specialists must be familiar with economic and wage data, and have extensive knowledge of labor law and collective bargaining trends. They interpret and administer contracts with respect to grievances, wages and salaries, employee welfare, health care, pensions, and union and management practices. Labor relations specialists who work for unions perform many of the same functions on behalf of the union and its members.

Salary, Size & Growth

• $75,500 average per year ($36.25 per hour)
• A large occupation (417,900 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.8% per year)

Entry Requirements

Many LABOR RELATIONS SPECIALISTS require graduate study in industrial or labor relations. A strong background in industrial relations and law is highly desirable for contract negotiators, mediators, and arbitrators--many people in these specialties are lawyers. A combination of industrial relations courses and law courses is highly desirable. No special licensing or certification is required for labor relations specialists.