Labour Relations Law (Canada)

Whether you are involved in the collective bargaining process, the administration of a contract, or a certification campaign,  it is necessary to understand the applicable federal/provincial  Acts and their practical impact on the workplace.  This workshop is accessible for both non-lawyers and lawyers and gives participants an opportunity to practice learned concepts through cases studies and small group exercises. Participants will be able to:

• Understand the basic difference in jurisdiction between federal and provincial as well as public versus private sector statutes
• Identify and explain the primary statutory provisions of the Ontario Labour Relations Act (the “Act”) and its administrative enforcement scheme
• Discuss the process and legal principles involved in union organizing and representation proceedings under the Act
• Explain the real-world impact of recent board decisions across Canada on union organizing
• Identify and assess labour relations implications of business purchases and sales
• Understand what constitutes an unfair labour practice on the part of a union or an employer during an organizing campaign
• Understand what constitutes an unfair labour practice on the part of a union or an employer during bargaining
• Recognize and explain the possible labour relations implications of various managerial decisions
• Recognize and assess the nature and scope of the parties’ duty to bargain in good faith, including subjects of bargaining, at-the-table conduct as evidence of good or bad faith, mid-term bargaining issues and unilateral changes
• Identify labour relations risks and rights triggered by the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement including strikes, lockouts and utilization of replacement workers.

Who Will Benefit

Labour relations, human resource, and operations professionals as well as attorneys who operate in a unionized environment in the federal sector or in Ontario.

Open enrollment workshops can be taken individually or as part of a certificate in Contract Administration Studies or Collective Bargaining Studies. They are also available as Labour Relations Customized Programs for your organization.