The Labor Relations office is part of the division of Human Resources and oversees all aspects of labor relations activities for AFSCME-represented employees at Kent State.

The Labor Relations office also oversees pre-disciplinary hearings for classified, unrepresented university employees. The goal of the office is to create and sustain a collaborative work environment for collective bargaining members, unrepresented classified employees and the professional leadership.

The major areas of responsibility for the Labor Relations office include:

• Serve as a resource to employees, supervisors and department heads regarding labor relations policies and issues;
• Administer and interpret the AFSCME collective bargaining agreement, university policies, and relevant sections of the Ohio Revised Code and Ohio Administrative Code;
• Plan and direct recruitment activities and employment services for represented classified staff;
• Provide grievance and arbitration procedure administration for all classified employees;
• Administer predisciplinary processes for all classified employees;
• Assess and develop training programs for represented staff and supervisors/managers of represented staff; and
• Represent the university in AFSCME collective bargaining negotiations.
  

For more information, contact Karen Watson, Employee Relations Manager, at 330-672-4636 or kswatson@kent.edu; Janine Bogden at 330-672-4636 or jbogden@kent.edu; or Joe Vitale, HR Director, at 330-672-2100 or jvitale1@kent.edu.

Resources

Shift Differential

• Defined as additional pay for working a shift other than a day shift.
• Shift differential only applies to employees who are members of a recognized collective bargaining unit, and is governed by the provisions of formal agreements between the recognized bargaining agent and the university.