Cynthia (Cindy) Byrd, Senior Consultant
Former HR Executive: Cindy has held progressive leadership roles in the human resources field, from healthcare and risk management to labor relations and chief human resources officer, serving both US-based and global organizations across myriad industries, including manufacturing and distribution; insurance and finance; airline transportation; call centers; public utilities; and the US military.
Cindy has been involved with helping multiple organizations protect their union-free status for over 20 years. Her union avoidance effectiveness has been enhanced with her extensive Human Resources Leadership and labor contract negotiation experiences spanning over two decades in multiple dynamic and complex organizational environments.
Cindy’s frontline and leadership experiences provide first hand knowledge and understanding of the challenges that employees and their leaders face on a day-to-day basis, realizing that 24/7 operations may lead to fatigue and change saturation in evolving and fast-paced organizations. These conditions unknowingly create underlying tension and employee disenfranchisement, a perfect environment for union organizing. Through ongoing and transparent communication, Cindy has helped build pre-emptive and intervention strategies that enable employers to preserve and protect their union-free status and profit performance.
Cindy began her early career as a combat medic supporting ground troops in the USA and Germany. From the military, Cindy earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Behavior/Psychology at Grandview University; Master of Public Administration in Healthcare Economics and Labor Relations at Drake University; and advanced leadership training and certification at Penn State and Boston University. She holds various professional certifications in human resources, instructional design, and training and development from national and globally recognized institutes, and is the author of multiple proprietary training programs, policies and publications. Cindy is married with three adult children, and is involved in grass roots organizational and community change initiatives in her spare time.
Client Testimonials
Our employees ultimately voted to overwhelmingly defeat the Teamsters 43-no to 3-yes that allows us to continue to work directly with our employees in their best interest giving the us the opportunity to make things right.”
-WS, Director of HR
Knowledge Base
Involving Employees in Decision-Making is Essential for an Optimal Work Environment
In my prior article, “The Secret Sauce of Maintaining a Great Place to Work,” there were five ingredients needed for an optimal work environment. One ingredient, “creating an avenue for employees to participate in decision-making on matters that affect their work,”...
How to Pick a Labor Consultant Firm
Have you ever needed a labor consultant firm, but didn’t know how to choose the right one to address your needs? I am here to help.
The Secret Sauce of Maintaining a Great Place to Work
Employers often ask, “What can we do to keep our employees happy and to prevent union organizing?” Clients often think their efforts will be time intensive, expensive, and will require a ton of resources. The truth is quite the opposite! The “recipe” for keeping your employees happy is quite simple and often inexpensive.