Experience
Ms. Cochran is a human resources consultant with over 25 years of public sector human resources and labor relations experience. She works with our public sector clients on a variety of human resources issues including:
- labor and employee relations
- labor contract negotiations
- integrated disability management (FMLA/CFRA/PDL/ADA/FEHA)
- strategic planning
- employee performance management
- human resource policies and procedures
- recruitment and selection
- classification and compensation
Related Experience
Ms. Cochran previously held numerous human resources positions in her career including serving as both the Director and Assistant Director of Human Resources for Solano County as a Human Resources Manager and IT Manager for the County of Sacramento. She also served as the Human Resources Administrator for the Sacramento Transportation Authority and as a Management Assistant for the City of Vacaville.
Ms. Cochran’s human resource and labor relations experience is extensive. She oversaw all aspects of labor and employee relations including collective bargaining, mediation, arbitration, PERB hearings, EEOC claims, labor contract interpretations, settlement agreements, and employee disciplinary matters. She also provided advice to operating departments related to the Civil Rights Act, EEOC/DFEH claims, ADA and FEHA, workers compensation, recruiting standards, staffing, and employee issues. Ms. Cochran spent many years conducting and overseeing internal investigations of workplace misconduct and EEO complaints. She has also served as a project manager implementing HRIS, payroll, ad applicant tracking systems.
Ms. Cochran has an extensive background working with large public works projects and public utilities serving such customers as the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Sacramento Water Agency and the Solid Waste Authority. She has wide-ranging collective bargaining experience with a broad variety of unions in this environment.
Negotiations Experience
Ms. Cochran has more than 28 years of experience in labor relations and human resource management which includes experience as a labor union negotiator and as a public sector executive manager. A high level overview of her California labor relations experience includes:
- Operating Engineers Local #3 and City of Vacaville Employees Association
Served as a member of the Local #3 bargaining team during concession negotiations; served as chief negotiator for the City’s General Employees Association which included negotiating a restructure of certification and on-call pay as well as overtime concessions. - Sacramento County
Served as Human Resources Manager, IT Manager and Chief Negotiator for multiple contracts. Served as Chief Negotiator for the Water Quality Unit (Local 39), Operations and Maintenance Unit (Local 39), Engineers and Architects Units (APECS), Engineering Technicians and Technical Inspectors (ETTI), General Supervisory Unit (Teamsters Local 150), Building Trades Unit (Sacramento-Sierra Building and Construction Trades Council Association). Served as chief negotiator during the bargaining to reduce the County’s health care contributions from 100% of the Kaiser rate to an 80% across the board share. Negotiated the close of the 2006 labor strike to a successful conclusion. - Solano County
Served as Assistant Director of Human Resources from 2006 – 2011 and as Director of Human Resources from 2011-2012. Managed the human resources function for the County which included serving as chief negotiator for multiple labor contracts. Also negotiated concession contracts from 2009 through 2011. - Sloan Sakai Yeung & Wong
Georgia has worked as a Consultant with the firm from March 2013 to present. During that time, she has served as chief spokesperson in negotiations for the City and County of San Francisco, the Counties of Solano, Sacramento and San Joaquin, and the City of Roseville. She has also served as the Interim HR Director for the County of San Benito and the County of Stanislaus. Georgia has also completed several projects related to the City of Stockton’s Municipal Utilities Department.