2025 Labor Relations/Human Resources Conference

Attendees will pick up their badge and meeting materials.

All attendees are invited to the LRHR evening reception to connect and mingle. Light food and beverages will be provided.

In this illuminating panel discussion, our panel of seasoned labor relations professionals discuss real-life experiences with unions in the workplace. The session showcases personal experiences in maintaining positive workforce engagement and how individuals addressed union discussions when they arose.

Legal perspective follow-up to union-forming preparation expert panel discussion. Rick offers perspective with current laws and legal avenues companies can take when union discussions occur in the workplace.

Chet shares strategic insights into the latest trends, emerging developments, and key triumphs and challenges currently shaping the industry landscape.

This session will explore the pivotal role of energy and products in advancing human progress. It will emphasize how affordable and reliable energy has consistently driven improvements in quality of life. Looking ahead, the acceleration of policies and technologies will play a crucial role in shaping a successful transition to sustainable energy solutions. By fostering collaboration across all sectors, we can address growing energy demands while working towards shared climate goals.

With the rise of easily accessible AI tools, companies may soon see an uptick in AI-generated or manipulated photos, emails or documents that must be detected during internal investigations. This session discusses real examples of such AI manipulation and how they were identified by Koch’s internal investigations team.

Of the skills we need as leaders, how essential is our capability and commitment to listen? Sounds simple … but do we ever take our ability to hear for granted? And how can we - at any point in our careers – strengthen how we listen to ourselves and to others? Join certified executive coach D. Mark Schumann as we look at how we listen to absorb the voices we hear.

“What is pattern bargaining?” and a history of how we got here. Discussing early oil bargaining and significant historical events. Also, Billy will discuss challenges with pattern bargaining along with a brief introduction on preparing for contract negotiations.

Breakfast/Session

Marvin’s session will review the most significant recent developments and discuss other potential future changes.

It is in the best interest of organizations and companies to employ and retain high performing individuals for as long as possible. Human performance, however, is influenced by many factors, including but not limited to feeling supported, valued, and respected; being recognized and rewarded for good work; functioning under transparent and fair processes; and receiving accurate and actionable constructive feedback. Dr. Marks will provide specific guidance on what to say and do throughout the employee life cycle--hiring, talent development, promotion, and exit--to identify, manage and potentially reduce the impact of bias on the aforementioned factors.

This entertaining and informative session will provide HR professionals the tools they need to recognize, describe, and manage employee deception, a skill that is useful in all aspects of their work and particularly internal investigations. Using an interactive approach that is heavy on storytelling and the use of real-life videos, HR professionals will learn why they should "trust their gut," how to handle he-said/she-said situations, and most importantly, how to interpret body language and verbal cues to determine when someone is being less than truthful.

Mike will discuss recent negotiations with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and the strike that occurred. Preparation, public relations, negotiation hardships, and lessons learned will be presented.

We’ve all heard the saying: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” This is especially true in Employee Relations where data plays a critical role. This session will detail the 10 KPIs to track and how ER teams can leverage data to proactively address challenges, build trust, and mitigate risks. Key takeaways for attendees include: Identifying essential metrics in employee relations, using analytics to uncover trends and optimize planning, collaborating with internal stakeholders to ensure the tracked data aligns with broader organizational goals.

Dave will dive into the United Steelworkers (USW) organization and structure. He will also discuss the relationship with the oil industry, the national oil bargaining program, and support for the pattern.

Sharron Booker, Chair, steps down as committee chair; Matt Yarborough steps in. New Vice Chair is named.