Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County · 12 hours ago
Director Labor Relations
Houston, TX
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$120K/yr - $164K/yr
8+ years expThe Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is seeking a Director of Labor Relations to oversee the labor relations function and staff. The role involves negotiation and administration of labor agreements, providing guidance on contract disputes, and acting as the principal spokesperson in negotiations with unions.
Fleet ManagementPublic TransportationTransportationTravelTravel Agency
Hiring Manager
Demile James
Responsibilities
Administers the labor agreement by providing guidance, direction, application and interpretation to managerial and supervisory employees in contract disputes, Memorandum of Understandings (MOU’s), grievances, and all employee actions affecting or affected by the labor agreement
Guides and monitors issues from represented employees and administers METRO's policies, procedures and guidelines
Reviews and updates the union employee work rules as needed
Plans and advises METRO management regarding labor agreement negotiations. Acts as the principal spokesperson of METRO negotiations teams in all union labor agreement negotiations
Acts as principal METRO representative in contact with the Union on all matters pertaining to disciplinary actions, promotions, demotions, transfers, separations, layoffs, wage adjustments, and grievance/arbitration hearings
Performs personnel administrative functions of direct report staff (e.g. training, supervising, work assignments, timesheets, performance evaluations, etc.) for the purpose of maintaining necessary staffing, enhancing productivity of staff and ensuring necessary department outcomes are achieved
Assists managers in counseling and disciplining represented employees
Develops and implements training to managers on labor issues and trends, including administration and facilitation of the labor agreement, disciplinary and grievance processes, contract interpretation, leave polices, etc
Assists in preparation of arbitration hearings, lawsuits, and bargaining unit labor agreement negotiations
Responsible for the oversight and preparation of grievance reports, disciplinary action reports, Labor Relations weekly reports, and other SAP reports as needed or requested for special projects
Conducts surveys of other transit properties on wages, benefits, and special issues for Union as needed
Participates in new hire orientation
Provides excellent customer service to METRO internal and external customers
Applies SMS (Safety Management System) methods and principles in daily routine and supports all aspects of the agency’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP)
Promotes safety awareness and follows safety procedures to reduce or eliminate accidents
Performs other job-related duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Labor Relations or related field required
A minimum of 8 years of experience in a Director-level role within Labor Relations is required, including a minimum of five (5) years management experience, in a unionized environment
Excellent communications (written/verbal) skills
Deep understanding of federal, state, and local labor laws, including NLRA, FMLA, and collective bargaining regulations
Skilled in negotiating union contracts, handling grievances, and managing arbitration
Ability to mediate disputes between employees, unions, and management effectively
Experience creating and implementing labor relations policies and procedures
Ability to analyze workforce trends, labor costs, and compliance metrics
Company
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County
The Authority has transformed a broken bus fleet into a regional multimodal transportation system.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$40.4MKey Investors
Federal Transit Administration
2023-06-26Grant· $40.4M
Leadership Team
Randy Frazier
Chief Technology Officer
Chuck Berkshire
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Recent News
Holy City Sinner
2025-04-22
Federal Transit Administration
2025-04-22
Company data provided by crunchbase