The study sought to understand the essence of the lived experiences of principals in labor relations. Labor relations include aspects of collective bargaining, teachers unions, and interactions with teachers from the perspective and experiences of elementary and middle school principals who are also members of their district negotiation team with the certificated bargaining unit. The phenomenological approach used structured interviews with the participating principals. Five themes emerged: (a) Team dynamics and relationship building are essential, (b) Teacher unions are a political force and reality, (c) Contrasting conceptualizations of the contract, (d) Leadership skills involve multifaceted dimensions, and (e) Principals have conflicted roles. The findings are interpreted in two ways: Principals' character and integrity are at the core of educational leadership, and principals maneuver and operate in the political landscape of educational leadership. Implications for practice include specific recommendations for negotiation team membership, discussion of a district's political landscape, the need to clarify contractual requirements, and fostering character and integrity. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]