Labor and Employee Relations

Labor and Employee Relations is not being offered in Spring 2022.

We have approved an alternate course for the PWMI certificate. This course, offered through the Small Business Development Center at the Wisconsin School of Business, is:

Fearless Performance Management April 12, 2022.  See additional course details and a link to online registration.

You must use the code PERFORMANCE2022 to get a discounted $215 registration fee

With the adoption of Act 10 by the Wisconsin Legislature, the labor relations landscape of Wisconsin local governments changed significantly. This course will explore those changes in a new HR environment with new opportunities and different constraints.

This one-day course fulfills in part the requirements of the Wisconsin Public Works Supervisory Academy and Public Works Management Institute, as recognized by the American Public Works Association and Wisconsin Chapter APWA.

• Public works supervisors who wish to sharpen their skills
• Supervisors and managers new to the field of public works
• Public works employees who wish to prepare for advancement
• Public works engineers who are new to management
• Public works professionals engaged in the APWA Donald C. Stone Center leadership and management career path

The Legal Basis for Public Sector Labor Relations

• Employees, units, bargaining, impasse, Municipal vs. State, WERC role
• New Law Act 10

Traditional Elements of a Labor Contract and Employee Handbook

• Management Rights, Union Recognition, Fair Share
• Employment related and working conditions
• Benefits, salaries, leaves
• Grievance procedure

Contract and Handbook Administration

Grievance Processing

Bargaining, Negotiating, and Problem Solving

• Traditional vs. Interest based
• Interest based steps, process, and benefits
• Applications and examples 

Employee Development and Documentation

Discipline

• Purpose, progressive, due process and just cause
• Issues – Absenteeism, unsatisfactory performance, insubordination

Additional Issues, Discussion, Questions

"The termination process and how to deal with negative feedback was most useful."

"Interacting with fellow classmates and the energy of the instructors was very helpful."
—Village of Rochester

"Finding ways to deal with difficult employees and ways for myself to improve—very useful"

"It was useful going over real scenarios of difficult situations with employees because I was provided feedback that was tested in the field."

Kristin Gebhardt

Director, Program Development & Special Projects at Madison Area Technical College. She's a strategic leader who is widely viewed, not only as extremely competent, but one who leads with integrity, care, and compassion. She has a unique ability to craft solutions and design innovative ways forward that benefits employees and the overall organization. Her focus is on service, fairness and a better way forward.

Benjamin Jordan

Ben Jordan is a program director with Interdisciplinary Professional Programs in the transportation sector. He has over 35 years of experience in civil engineering and public works. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois.