About the companyAlbertsons Companies is at the forefront of the revolution in retail.
With a fixation on innovation and building culture, our team is rallying our company around a unique vision: forging a retail winner that is admired for national strength, deep roots in the communities we serve, and a team that has passion for food and delivering great service.Albertsons is one of the largest retail employers, providing approximately 300,000 jobs across 2,200 stores, 22 distribution centers, 20 food and beverage plants and various support offices.
We operate in 34 states and the District of Columbia under the Albertsons banner, as well as Safeway, Tom Thumb, Jewel Osco, Shaw’s and many more recognizable names.What you will be doing:The Labor Relations Counsel is responsible for managing, negotiating, and implementing contracts and collective bargaining agreements for facilities in the Southern California division.
This role also handles any exceptions in contracts, interpretation of complex terms or rules if escalated as well as jointly managing healthcare trust funds with union representatives.Responsibilities:Work with union representatives to ensure contracts are properly in place.Work with management to determine the needs of the business (quality, safety, performance, etc.) and work with union representatives to work towards an agreement.
This includes drafting initial proposals and reviewing union requests and feedback.
Must negotiate terms that best satisfy the needs of our employees and overall business.
Once terms have been agreed upon work on putting together the final contract and communicating the terms to all management and employees as applicable.Act as the subject matter expert on contracts and manage and handle all escalated employee issues or problems related to the interpretation of the contracts.
Negotiate and resolve difficult problems including discharge and termination of employees.
Partner closely with Labor Directors for divisions as needed to manage and administer any resolutions.
Provide strategic direction and manage precedent setting issues or cases that come up that could have a significant impact to the business and operations.Jointly manage trusts between labor, management, and third-party service providers.
Work with actuaries to determine projected costs and associated expenses to administer and fund different health and disability plan options.
Identify and select a contract with third party negotiators (benefit providers, clinics) that will handle the payment and administration of the benefits.
Review the benefit financial statements on a quarterly basis and audit/ monitor these accounts to ensure expenses are in line with expectations and that the trusts are properly funded.Collaborate closely with management and ensure that contract terms and rules are properly adhered to.
Work with the ESC staff and make sure that all scheduled updates to employee records, payroll, pension departments, benefits, etc.
are properly administered and done according to the contract terms.Partner with unions daily to manage day-to-day issues and ongoing contract negotiations.
Work with federal and state regulators on compliance and employer requirement standards and laws.
Federal and local agencies include DOL, FLSA, ERISA, ADA HIPAA and the EEOC, etc.Works closely with payroll and other administrative departments to ensure proper interpretation and enforcement of collective bargaining agreements.Travel 10% Relevant Experience and EducationJuris Doctorate (JD) and licensed in CaliforniaThree to five years of experience at a Labor & Employment law firmExcellent contract negotiation skillsAbility to work in cross functional teams and to work towards a consensusKnowledge of business operations with the ability to see the long-term objectives and goals Superior writing and contract development skills requiredLegal knowledge as it relates to writing and interpreting contractsAbility to diplomatically deal with difficult external groups and unions that have completely different objectives Ability to partner with management to determine the business needs and ensure that these areas are captured in the contractsKnowledge of pension and benefit programs and how they are administered and what they typically costKnowledge of jointly managed trusts and how to set them up, administer them and ensure they are performing according to the terms of the agreementKnowledge of federal and state requirements and agencies including DOL, EEOC, HIPAA, ADA, etc.What is it like at Albertsons?Albertsons Culture PrinciplesCompassion: We always treat each other with kindness and respectTeam: We always support and recognize each otherInclusive: We always value everyone’s perspectiveLearning: We always strive to grow and develop ourselves and othersCompetitive: We always act with integrity to win over the customerOwnership: We always take actions to drive our successLI-RP1ACI-PRO