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Pocket Guide to the Basics of Labor Relations

By Rhonda Albey
1st edition, 2003

$12 each

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It takes time and experience to understand the nuances of labor relations, but here's a start.

If you are a manager who has just been given an assignment that includes labor relations responsibility, or if you are a newly appointed union representative, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. It's easy to make mistakes, and there's pressure from both sides! This Pocket Guide will help you get your bearings and survive the initial stages of what can be a difficult, but rewarding, line of work. This book will tell you:

  • Why we have public employee unions
  • State laws that regulate labor relations
  • The language of labor relations
  • What is in the typical contract
  • How to negotiate and administer labor agreements
  • How to handle grievances
  • What to do in arbitration and unfair practice hearings
  • How to handle agency shop arrangements
  • How to cope with extraordinary situations (including downsizing and/or restructuring, work actions, and organizing drives).

Author Rhonda Albey is a principal analyst in the Employee Relations Division of the California Accounting Office, where she has working since 1990, following other budget/administrative positions in her 20-year career. She holds a Ph.D. From UCLA in Education and Management, and has been an instructor in the Undergraduate Management Program at the University of Phoenix since 1996.