The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York), January 27, 2005, Thursday

The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)

January 27, 2005 Thursday
FINAL EDITION

SECTION: BUSINESS; Learn to work; Pg. C2


HEADLINE: COURSE WORK HELPS PREPARE LABOR RELATIONS STAFF

BYLINE: REBECCA LIVENGOOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BODY:
Q) Please tell me what labor relations professionals do. What sort of training do they get?
A) People working in labor relations serve as a link between employees and management. This area is a specialty within human resources.
Generally, labor relations specialists work for unionized companies or government agencies. Their goal is to keep their work force as satisfied and productive as possible.
Government labor relations specialists may administer labor regulations or do research. Some work for unions or may serve as independent consultants.
Labor relations specialists work in many areas of union-management relations, including background research for contract negotiations, employee grievances and interpretation of contracts. Labor relations personnel must keep up with developments in labor law and must meet regularly with elected union officials.
Most labor relations specialists have a college degree, although the field does not have a prescribed avenue of training. Some enter the field through a specialized undergraduate or graduate degree program.
Universities such as Cornell offer programs in industrial relations, labor relations or human resources. These programs usually confer a bachelor's degree in industrial relations and labor studies.
Some schools offer interdisciplinary bachelor's degrees in business administration with a major in management and labor relations. Others prepare for the field with a liberal-arts education, including psychology, sociology, economics, political science and business administration.
It is also common for union leaders and negotiators from the rank and file, elected to positions such as shop steward or head of a grievance committee, to represent the union on a professional basis. Many choose to get further education to enhance their labor relations careers.
For those who want to be managers, law degrees, master's degrees in business administration and graduate study in labor/industrial relations are particularly valuable.
Cornell University offers a widely recognized program in its School of Industrial and Labor Relations, www.ilrcornell.edu. The program includes undergraduate and graduate degrees for traditional students and for professionals wishing to advance their careers.
LeMoyne College offers an undergraduate degree in industrial relations and human resource management, www.lemoyne.
edu.
Salary.com reports that an entry-level labor relations specialist at a company with 1,000 employees makes a median salary of $48,000 in the Syracuse labor market; a manager with seven years' experience makes about $93,000.
Learn to Work is produced by the RLS Career Center. Readers may submit questions regarding educational options to HELP, RLS Career Center, 770 James Street, Syracuse, NY 13203 and by e-mail at rls@borg.com.