The Tennessee Labor-Management Center or “The Center” was established by the Tennessee Legislature in 1978, within the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Founded as the Tennessee Institute for Labor-Management Studies, the Center provides an association between labor, management and higher education, offering educational programs and services to employers and labor organizations in the public and private sector. Through the delivery of those programs, the Center’s mission is to promote a stable and cooperative employment relationship in the workplaces of Tennessee.
The Center is funded on an annual basis by a grant from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The services of the Center include:

Developing and implementing joint education and training programs to assist both employers and labor organizations in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations affecting the workplace.

Development and administration of programs and services designed to maintain industrial peace and improve the climate of employment relations in the State of Tennessee in the public and private sectors, including mediation and facilitation of workplace disputes.

Promoting the art, science and practice of alternative dispute resolution and collaborative processes in public and private sector employment.

Providing support and training in the area of joint labor-management committees and related partnership activities.

Serving as a resource center to provide research and technical information to employers and labor organizations, and agencies of state government.

Making a Difference

For over thirty years, the Tennessee Labor-Management Center has been making a difference in labor-management relations in Tennessee.  The Center’s mission is to promote a stable and cooperative employment relationship in the workplaces of Tennessee.  Consistent with that mission, the Center provides a variety of programs and services designed to aid labor and management organizations in working together productively thereby making Tennessee a desirable location for business and industry.

Our staff of professionals provides education and training on numerous workplace topics including communication and conflict management, collaborative negotiations, labor relations and employment law, and others. The trainings are customized for on-site delivery, or through conferences, seminars, and workshops.

Education and training are only part of the Center’s activities.  In addition to skills-based training programs, the Center offers individualized services to labor and management.  These services include facilitation of negotiation processes, mediation of grievances, and research designed to avoid arbitration or other workplace disputes.

Please contact us if we can be of help in any way.  We look forward to helping you in any way possible.  Our goal is to help Tennessee companies and their employees to be the most productive in the marketplace.