Meredith Gatzke
VP Chief Human Resources Officer
Montclair State University
Episode 213
Beyond Negotiation: HR's Strategic Blueprint for Unionized Transformation
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleApril 29, 2025 · 15:12
Thesis
“Effective HR leadership, particularly in heavily unionized and transforming environments, requires proactive communication, consistent collaboration with unions, and fostering organizational adaptability to successfully bridge business objectives with employee needs and protections.”
Show notes
Managing organizational change in a heavily unionized environment isn't just complicated — it's a different discipline entirely. Meredith Gatzke, CHRO at Montclair State University, has spent her career navigating exactly this terrain, where the difference between "approve" and "acknowledge" in a collective bargaining agreement can trigger a grievance, and where every change initiative requires a choreography of communication, relationship, and compliance.
Her central insight is that union relationships are not transactional — they are longitudinal. Organizations that engage with union leadership only at contract negotiation time will find those relationships brittle when implementation matters most. Meredith has built a practice of continuous collaboration: keeping the dialogue open, investing in transparency outside of formal bargaining cycles, and treating the union as a partner in change rather than an adversary to be managed. The goal isn't to avoid conflict. It's to build enough trust that when conflict does arise, both sides have a framework for resolving it.
She's also watching what's next: adaptability is becoming the new change management. Employee expectations — around flexibility, mental health support, skills development — are moving faster than most organizations can respond. The leaders who will thrive are those who have modeled adaptability themselves, because their teams are watching whether the boss actually lives it.
- Building long-term union relationships — why engagement between contract cycles is the most valuable investment in labor relations
- Managing change in unionized environments — structured planning, early engagement, and avoiding the grievances that derail implementation
- HR as the bridge between business goals and employee protections — navigating compliance and stakeholder complexity simultaneously
- Training leaders on CBA nuances — how small language distinctions create large legal and relational consequences
- Why adaptability is replacing traditional change management — and how leaders can model it visibly for their teams
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What you'll take away
- 1Build strong, long-term relationships with unions through continuous collaboration and transparency, not just during contract negotiations.
- 2Implement change in unionized environments with structured planning and early, frequent engagement to prevent grievances and ensure successful adoption.
- 3Position HR as the vital 'bridge' between business goals and employee protections, navigating complex compliance and stakeholder needs during transformation.
- 4Educate non-HR leaders on the subtle but critical nuances of collective bargaining agreements to avoid unintended conflicts (e.g., 'approve' vs. 'acknowledge').
- 5Prioritize adaptability within HR and across the organization to meet evolving employee expectations, leverage new technologies, and retain talent in a changing world.
What most organizations get wrong
- •You have to be humble, right, in HR? Like, you have to admit when things are not done the right way, and we fix it, and we move on.
- •It doesn't get easier [with technology], it's just different.
In Meredith's words
“So you, remembering that you need to collaborate and not create conflict. It is a long-term relationship. It's never only when you're sitting across from the table and negotiating a contract.”
This quote emphasizes the continuous, collaborative nature of union relations beyond formal negotiations.
“You would rather do it right than do it incorrectly and have grievances, and it just doesn't make everybody feel good.”
This highlights the long-term benefits of a structured, deliberate approach to change in union environments.
“So it really comes down to communication, which is something that HR offices are always being asked to do more of and do better. And early and frequent engagement...”
This quote reinforces communication and proactive engagement as foundational to successful union relationships and change.
“HR is really the bridge between business goals and employee protections, right?”
This defines HR's strategic role as mediating and aligning diverse organizational needs during transformation.
“I think adaptability is going to be maybe I don't want to say replace change management, but I think adaptability and being able to move forward and evolve, not only as an individual, but as a team, as a division, as an organization...”
This elevates adaptability to a core philosophy for future HR success, beyond traditional change management.
“You have to evolve with it. And as a leader, your team needs to see you being able to evolve because the expectation is that they're changing and they're moving the organization forward.”
This stresses the importance of leaders modeling adaptability for their teams to drive organizational progress and retention.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Leaders outside HR lack understanding of collective bargaining agreement nuances, leading to avoidable union conflicts and grievances.
- •Implementing organizational change in heavily unionized environments is slow and complex, requiring careful, structured approaches to avoid mistakes and build trust.
- •Ensuring employee feedback is not only collected but visibly acted upon to demonstrate impact and maintain engagement.
- •Balancing diverse stakeholder needs—employees, leadership, unions, and regulatory compliance—during periods of significant organizational transformation.
- •Keeping pace with rapidly evolving employee expectations for mental health support, workplace flexibility, and skills development amidst changing work models.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Dave: I always love to ask you about your career journey
Career Pathway
Working in a heavily unionized environment has shaped your approach to employee relations
How to Approach Employee Relations in a Unionized Environment
Communication is key in building strong relationships with unions to successfully implement change
Employee Experience: Building Strong Relationships with Unions
Something as simple as approve versus acknowledge in a collective bargaining agreement can make a big difference
Meredith, Can HR Manage a Unionized Environment?
Human resources plays a crucial role in balancing employees, leadership and unions
What Role Does HR Play in Balancing the Needs of Employees,
Meredith, how do you see the future of labor relations evolving
Meredith, How Will Labor Relations Change in the Future?
Adaptability and being able to move forward is key, Meredith says
Meredith Hewitt on Developing Adaptability
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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