For 18 years, Jeff Scafaro worked on the employee side of labor relations as a union advocate. In 2015, Jeff Scafaro transitioned to become an employer advocate when he launched the Vanguard Consulting Group, LLC.
As a labor relations consultant, Mr. Scafaro serves various employers in California, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Washington. Some of the companies he has consulted for include Stanford Healthcare, PNM Resources, Texas-New Mexico Power, Zenith American Solutions, and Marin General Hospital. His accomplishments include successfully negotiating 10 collective bargaining agreements and reducing a grievance backlog for a single client from 226 cases to 33 open cases. He has also drafted contingency plans for multiple clients.
In 2021, Mr. Scafaro took a position as the director of employee and labor relations for LifeBridge Health, Inc. Serving as its primary employer advocate, he developed management and HR training programs. In 2024, the Falls Church City Public Schools hired him as its labor relations consultant, where he assisted the school system in negotiating its first collective bargaining agreement.
In addition to his work in labor relations, Mr. Scafaro is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators and the Labor and Employment Relations Association. In his free time, he is an avid tennis player and enthusiast. He has played in multiple leagues, competing in singles and doubles tournaments and averaging 15 hours of playing time a week.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
A typical day begins with self-care, including eating a healthy breakfast and preparing myself mentally for the day.
I tend to create a prioritization list for myself at the end of each day, so reviewing my tasks in the morning is key to making sure I stay on track.
My work usually begins with emails to/from various clients and other contacts. I move into my list of tasks and priorities, and while distractions are common, I often set aside “desk time” to clear the clutter of the day and focus on special projects. Once focused, long hours and late evenings are not uncommon in an effort to produce results in as timely a manner as possible.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I tend to visualize my ideas and formulate strategies in my head to get the best possible sense of where to go with a new project or idea.
After formulating a plan, I simply start creating, allowing my experience and instincts to guide me through completion of a project or task.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I am new to the AI scene, but seeing what it can do with respect to workplace investigations, contract analysis, and proposal writing has piqued my interest as of late, and I’m eager to put it to use.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I’ve mentioned this repeatedly throughout, but my day starts with quiet analysis of what needs to be accomplished and often ends with some form of physical exercise. I am not productive if I’m not present, and I’m not present if I’m restless or lacking in attention to my need for physical and mental release.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Set your goals as early as possible. Don’t drift, don’t wait for the world to come to you. Make life happen on your terms.
I wish I had focus in my late teens and early 20s. I didn’t. I don’t look back with a lot of regret, but find your passion and run with it.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
I’m not a very disagreeable kind of guy. I will say this with respect to labor relations: unless you’re embarking on scorched earth, take-no-prisoners approach to labor relations (which will ultimately destroy your employee engagement goals more often than not, by the way), take the time to build a solid professional relationship with the union representative sitting across the table.
Those relationships must be based on transparency, truthfulness, and candor, but they should also incorporate a personal touch, as well. Ask about their family, their plans for the weekend, their health. Whatever it is, the personal outreach can often be just as important as the professional dialogue.
I can’t tell you how often I’ve gotten things done for my clients that no one thought possible. Why? It’s not magic. It’s because I take the time to look at the representative as someone simply doing their job while I do mine. Someone with every bit as much of a personal life as I have.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Ensure work-life balance. It may sound cliché, but I’ve been there, done that with respect to the consistent 70- to 80-hour work weeks. You’ll burn out, and you’ll regret missing out. There are exceptions, of course. My weekends are sacred. My family is critical. My need for exercise is valuable. Don’t starve your body and ignore your mental health.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I take a break. I exercise, walk the dog, clean the house…anything to shift my attention elsewhere for a few moments so that I can recharge, refocus, and get back to doing what I do.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Relationships matter to me. I started on the union side of labor relations nearly 36 years ago. Transforming from union leader to management advocate was tough, but obviously not an insurmountable task. I listened to advice that was given to me, I studied the work of others, and I forged relationships that were meaningful and lasting versus superficial and short-term. Those relationships—on both sides of the table—helped me grow personally and professionally, and helped to put me where I am today.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Great question. Emotional intelligence wasn’t my forte 35-30 years ago. It is now. I led with emotion, got riled up far too easily, and internalized criticism from across the table.
My advice is simple: take emotion out of the equation when making business decisions and if there is a tense moment, take a break. Rare is it when good decisions come out of a heated exchange.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I can’t live without Outlook. My email, my tasks, my meeting schedule. It’s practically my world, and I’m always on it.
Honorable mention is PowerPoint. I create dozens of PowerPoint presentations each year, so it’s a must-have on any computer I’m in front of.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Flowers, dinner, and meeting someone I sincerely believe to be the love of my life. You can’t put a price limit on that.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I’m a bit of a history buff, and I enjoy reading. My books on Vietnam, the origins of organized religion, and the Civil War were very enlightening for me.
On the boring side, I have a number of technical books related to NLRB and arbitration proceedings that keep me on track and well-versed in my profession.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I’m currently watching the latest Ken Burns PBS documentary concerning the Revolutionary War, and I must say, I’m enjoying it immensely. I’m learning quite a bit, and the series is extremely well put together.
Key learnings
- Don’t overlook the importance of relationships with both peers and union representatives in labor relations—those who fail in this line of work often do.
- A good work-life balance, physical exercise, and mental release are vital for both short-term focus and productivity and long-term well-being and momentum.
- Emotional intelligence and positive relationships are the bedrocks of professional growth and good decision-making, especially in business.
- Daily task prioritization and review support productivity and staying on track.
- Find and chase your passion instead of settling for the typical 9-5 job.