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.