Vice President, Labor Relations

Eaton is hiring a Vice President, Labor Relations within Corporate Human Resources. The preferred location for this position is at the US HQ in Beachwood, Ohio, however, this role can also be remote with 50% travel.

What you’ll do:

Eaton Corporation is currently seeking a Vice President of Labor Relations to join our team. This position can be based at any Eaton US location or remotely within the US.

The Vice President of Labor Relations is a strategic Human Resources leadership role at Eaton , aimed at developing a top-tier Labor Relations Function & Strategy. Reporting to the Vice President of Employee Relations, Labor Relations and HR Functional Excellence, you will collaborate across the organization using best practices, innovative thought leadership, and strong interpersonal skills.

Leading a team, you will handle union-related issues and negotiations, ensuring successful outcomes. As the primary expert, you will stay updated on trends in collective bargaining, benefits, and work rules. Your role includes providing feedback, training, and support to shape effective policies and practices.

Essential Responsibilities:

- Advise business and HR leadership on labor and union matters, primarily in the U.S. and Mexico.
• Maintain a proactive approach to negotiations, collective bargaining agreement terms, policies, agreements, and procedures.
• Develop and implement union awareness programs and appropriate management responses to union campaigns through planning, positive employee relations programs, site vulnerability assessments, legal and policy reviews, as well as education and communications.
• Ensure compliance with union contracts using industrial labor relations programs and create a system of checks and balances to achieve desired results.
• Guide Eaton leadership on disciplinary and/or employee grievance issues within the union population.
• Engage with employee and union relations at sites for early issue identification, avoidance, de-escalation, or intervention.
• Ensure appropriate employee relations practices are maintained to promote positive employee relations at all sites.
• Identify existing or potential labor relations issues in acquisitions and divestitures and provide related solutions.
• Manage high-profile grievance procedures resulting from disputes with unionized employees over the collective bargaining agreement, work rules, and the interpretation of work contracts.
• Monitor compliance with internal, national, federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
• Maintain awareness of union-related activities through a core communication plan and use this information to advise, provide strategic counsel, and manage the company’s response to union organizing.
• Negotiate with unions regarding pension plans and other “historical” benefits into more cost-effective solutions.
• 50 percent travel is anticipated for this role

Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum twelve (12) years of progressive experience in Human Resources/Labor Relations, leading labor relations strategies for a company or $1B+ revenue business unit.
• Demonstrated experience implementing Labor Relations laws and resolution approaches in a corporate environment
• Senior executive leadership experience in a collaborative global environment
• Extensive end-to-end union negotiations experience, including collective bargaining agreements and employee relations
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree

• JD focusing on Labor Law

- International labor relations experience highly preferred
• Experience with labor unions and negotiations in Mexico

Skills:

All positions may re