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Union representative skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical union representative skills. We ranked the top skills for union representatives based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.2% of union representative resumes contained arbitration as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a union representative needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 union representative skills for your resume and career

1. Arbitration

Here's how union representatives use arbitration:

Negotiated reasonable and interest based grievance settlements to avoid arbitration.
Represented union members during Arbitration Hearings.

2. Collective Bargaining Agreements

Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, is the collective agreement reached between an employer and the union --that is, employee-members of that union basically on terms and conditions of employment including wages and salaries, working hours, benefits, health and safety policies, and many more.

Here's how union representatives use collective bargaining agreements:

Resolved disputes between workers and managers, interpret negotiate collective bargaining agreements, or coordinate grievance procedures to handle employee complaints.
Understand and explain collective bargaining agreements and labor laws to the general membership.

3. Contract Negotiations

When a contract is negotiated, an agreement is reached on a series of legally binding terms before it is signed and made official. Two or more parties agree on the terms of their relationship. When negotiating a contract, the focus is usually on risk and return.

Here's how union representatives use contract negotiations:

Recruited and organized members around issues such as contract negotiations and political elections.
Administer contract negotiations and documented all shop requirements.

4. Labor Relations

Labor relations refer to the relationship between the employer and its employees. It usually deals with labor-management wherein it focuses on the collective bargaining agreement regarding work between the union of the employee in making decisions for the organization. On the other hand, findings mean the proper wages, hours of duty, working conditions, safety, and employee protection while at work, grievances, and other related concerns.

Here's how union representatives use labor relations:

Learned initial roles and responsibilities of labor relations.
Negotiated labor contracts and led the labor relations program for the Union at various locations throughout upstate New York.

5. Contract Language

Here's how union representatives use contract language:

Assisted and supported bargaining unit members with interpretation of contract language and other concerns of the collective bargaining agreement.
Manage Fort Dodge Union office, negotiate contracts and handle employee grievance disputes including contract language interpretation.

6. Collective Bargaining

Here's how union representatives use collective bargaining:

Attend labor-management meetings prepare for and negotiating a collective bargaining agreement legislative lobbying on matters pertaining to conditions.
Enforced all collective bargaining regulations and benefits, through grievance procedures and intervention.

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7. Labor Law

Here's how union representatives use labor law:

Received and investigated charges of alleged irregularities with respect to labor laws and regulations.
Provide training/education sessions to employee population on employment/labor law, policies and related topics.

8. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is an often necessary skill in business, employed for processes such as contract negotiations, legal matters, and even personal, emotional situations and conflicts. It is the ability to find and create an appropriate and peaceful solution to some sort of dilemma or argument in which two or more parties are involved. The resolution itself must benefit and satisfy all parties and this is what makes it so difficult to reach a peaceful point sometimes.

Here's how union representatives use conflict resolution:

Specialized in conflict analysis and conflict resolution to ensure the ongoing success of the facility and its members.
Applied conflict resolution strategies to numerous cases.

9. Disciplinary Actions

Disciplinary actions refer to a corrective measure taken against an employee for unsatisfactory behavior. Many work environments have a tiered system for disciplinary action, where the first warning is verbal and the second is written. Disciplinary action may be given after a weak performance review, a violation of company rules and policies, or a poor customer review.

Here's how union representatives use disciplinary actions:

Reduced or eliminated disciplinary actions for many employees.
Advised senior-level management on labor contracts and personnel policies; investigated misconduct; prepared disciplinary actions; and wrote grievance responses.

10. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how union representatives use payroll:

Cashed payroll checks, Managed over $10,000 in cash on daily basis.Made daily deposits.
Consulted with manufacturing supervisors regarding payroll for 1,200 union and non-union employees.

11. Human Resources

Human resources is a set of people in a business or a corporation that are designated to locate, interview, and recruit new employees into the company. They are also responsible to maintain the integrity of the employees and help them sort their problems out. They try to introduce and manage employee-benefit programs.

Here's how union representatives use human resources:

Provided Human Resources services for the Federal Systems division of a worldwide hardware computer manufacturer.
Initiate Human Resources presence in established facility providing physical presence for New York headquarters.

12. FMLA

Here's how union representatives use fmla:

Developed FMLA training and documented process to educate supervisors and HR representatives.
Researched and analyzed the implications of the FMLA legislation on company practices, and implemented employee communication and corporate compliance procedures.

13. Mediate

Here's how union representatives use mediate:

Mediate discussions between employer and employee representatives in attempt to reconcile differences.
Mediate the disciplinary process between labor force and management

14. EEO

Here's how union representatives use eeo:

Counseled and trained all specialists in strict adherence to all EEO laws, rules and regulations.
Conduct investigations and write recommendations involving EEO issues, including sexual harassment and discrimination.

15. Disciplinary Hearings

Here's how union representatives use disciplinary hearings:

Assisted Union Representative in preparation for disciplinary hearings.
Represented members at disciplinary hearings, filed grievances, and mediated conflicts regarding conditions of employment.

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What skills help Union Representatives find jobs?

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List of union representative skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a union representative resume and required skills for a union representative to have include:

Arbitration
Collective Bargaining Agreements
Contract Negotiations
Labor Relations
Contract Language
Collective Bargaining

Labor Law
Conflict Resolution
Disciplinary Actions
Payroll
Human Resources
FMLA

Mediate
EEO
Disciplinary Hearings
Labor Contracts
Contract Administration

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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