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Overview
Since its launch in 1981, the Annual Alberta Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference has served as a cornerstone gathering for Alberta’s labour relations community—offering not only timely legal and policy updates but also valuable networking opportunities with leading voices in the field.
This year’s conference brings together top arbitrators, lawyers, union representatives, and HR professionals for in-depth discussions on the most pressing developments in labour arbitration and workplace policy. Expert-led panels will cover critical topics such as recent case law, legislative changes, policy trends, and the practical challenges shaping today’s labour landscape in Alberta.
The conference will feature concurrent panels and hands-on workshops, allowing attendees to customize their experience by choosing the sessions most relevant to their interests and professional roles. With a strong emphasis on connection and collaboration, this event is designed to foster dialogue, spark new ideas, and strengthen professional relationships across the labour relations community.
Whether you’re navigating complex arbitration issues or refining your workplace strategies, the Alberta conference offers the insight, flexibility, and network you need to stay ahead.
What to Expect
The event begins with an evening networking reception, providing a relaxed setting to connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and leaders from the labour community. This will be followed by an evening plenary session, offering thought-provoking discussion to set the stage for the next day’s program.
The following day features a full schedule of expert-led panels, including concurrent sessions that allow participants to tailor their experience by choosing the topics most relevant to their interests and professional needs. Panelists will represent union-side, employer-side, and neutral perspectives, offering balanced, practical insights through moderated discussions. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions—either verbally or electronically—at the end of each session.
In addition to the live content, participants will receive a comprehensive package of digital materials, including textbook chapters, case summaries, and other carefully curated resources. Developed through extensive research by Lancaster House program lawyers, these materials are designed to support continued learning long after the event.
Who Should Attend?
This conference will provide invaluable learning and networking opportunities for professionals involved in shaping and managing workplace policy, arbitration, and labour relations. It is designed for individuals across a range of industries, including:
- Arbitrators & Mediators – Decision-makers and dispute resolution professionals seeking to stay current with evolving practices and jurisprudence.
- Negotiators & Bargaining Agents – Professionals involved in collective bargaining looking to strengthen their strategies and deepen their understanding of recent legal and policy developments.
- Human Resources Leaders – HR managers, directors, and disability management specialists navigating workplace accommodations, discipline, and compliance.
- Employment & Labour Lawyers – Legal professionals seeking updates on arbitration trends, case law, and legislative changes.
- Union Representatives & Labour Relations Experts – Advocates working to ensure fair treatment in the workplace and effective collective bargaining outcomes.
- Corporate Executives & Compliance Officers – Business leaders responsible for aligning workplace policies with legal requirements and best practices.
- Government & Public Sector Professionals – HR and legal representatives working within municipal, provincial, and federal public service contexts.
Whether you are resolving disputes, negotiating agreements, or developing workplace policy, this conference offers the insights and connections you need to stay informed and effective.
Learning Outcomes
By attending this conference, you will:
✔ Stay up to date on the latest developments in labour arbitration, workplace policy, and employment law across Alberta.
✔ Strengthen your skills in interpreting and applying arbitration awards, legislative changes, and policy decisions in real-world workplace contexts.
✔ Gain practical strategies for resolving disputes, drafting effective workplace policies, and navigating complex issues in collective bargaining.
✔ Learn from leading arbitrators, legal experts, union and employer representatives through engaging discussions and case-based analysis.
✔ Connect with fellow practitioners, negotiators, and decision-makers to expand your professional network and exchange ideas.
Sample Materials
Click here to see an excerpt from last year’s materials!
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Registration: 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Opening remarks: 5:00 pm – 5:05 pm
Jim Casey will address some of the changes and challenges in labour arbitration in Alberta over the past 25 years. Some of the changes to be addressed include: the dramatic expansion of the scope of issues considered at arbitration; increased formality of the arbitration process; prevalence of med-arb processes; review of arbitration decisions by the Labour Relations Board rather than by the Courts; increased scrutiny of written reasons; pre-hearing production of documents; expedited arbitration processes; and virtual hearings. Some of the challenges to be addressed include the need to develop new arbitrators and the need to address delays in the arbitration process. Despite all of the changes and challenges during the past 25 years, Jim will reflect on what has remained the same: the parties’ commitment to collaboration and collegiality. Participants will be asked to share their perspectives on changes and challenges that they have observed.
Break: 5:35 pm – 5:50 pm
In this session, panelists will examine the complex challenges and potential opportunities arising from the use of emerging technologies in the workplace. Speakers will analyze three scenarios relating to social media use, employee monitoring, and artificial intelligence (“AI”), addressing questions such as:
- When can employers discipline or dismiss employees for inappropriate social media posts or activities? How have arbitrators and adjudicators in recent cases balanced employees’ freedom to express themselves on social media against the employer’s interest in protecting its reputation and preventing harm to other employees?
- How can employers and unions navigate conflicts between competing human rights that may arise in the context of social media use? For example, how should employers and unions respond when an employee makes an online post that another employee asserts is discriminatory, but which the posting employee claims is protected speech under the Human Rights Code or the Charter?
- What limits do federal and Alberta privacy laws place on employee monitoring and surveillance? How have arbitrators and adjudicators balanced employee privacy rights against the employer’s interest in managing productivity? What factors determine whether electronic monitoring crosses the line into unreasonable oversight?
- When can an employer discipline an employee for misconduct discovered through routine monitoring or surveillance? For example, can an employer that is monitoring employee devices for the stated purpose of ensuring performance and productivity discipline an employee for misconduct entirely unrelated to those criteria?
- What challenges and legal risks may arise in using artificial intelligence in hiring, promotion, and performance management? Can employers and unions be held liable for flaws in AI systems that result in discriminatory hiring and management processes? Will establishment of a human rights review process or reliance on bias testing be sufficient to shield an organization from liability?
Scenarios will be finalized in the weeks prior to the conference, ensuring coverage of the latest and most pressing issues.
Networking Reception: 7:05 pm – 9:00 pm
Friday June 19, 2026
Breakfast and Registration: 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Opening remarks: 9:00 am – 9:05 am
In this session, panelists will delve into recent significant developments in federal and provincial labour law, exploring key principles and emerging trends in a changing world of work. Panelists and accompanying materials will address the following:
Caselaw and Ongoing Legal Challenges
- How has the Alberta government’s introduction of the Back to School Act (2025), ordering striking teachers to return to work, impacted labour relations within the province? Is the provincial government’s use of the notwithstanding clause open to challenge, and what lessons can be learned from recent uses of this clause? How have courts and tribunals balanced the competing interests and legal rights at stake when addressing the legality of government intervention in strike actions?
- Will expressing personal or political beliefs at work warrant discipline? Is it discriminatory to discipline or reprimand an employee for being “oversensitive” in conversations about certain subjects – for example, about their country of origin or about Canada’s Indigenous relations policies?
- Can employees be dismissed for non-compliance with vaccine policies?
- How have arbitral approaches to evaluating discipline for harassment, discrimination, and violence at work changed in recent years? What trends in damages are evident for workplace human rights violations?
- Is an employer obliged to investigate incidents involving harassment if there is no formal complaint?
- Will specifying an age “cut-off” for benefits constitute discrimination or violation of the Charter?
- How far does the duty to inquire into a disability extend? Does the employer have a duty to inquire into the voluntariness of an employee’s resignation when that employee has a history of mental health concerns?
- What aspects of an absenteeism management policy will render that policy unreasonable?
- What factors will arbitrators consider when determining whether a hiring or promotion process was fair or reasonable? How does collective agreement language impact this analysis?
- What collective bargaining lessons can be learned from recent decisions from the Alberta Labour Relations Board addressing unfair labour practices, bad faith bargaining, and illegal strikes?
Legislation
The session and materials will also cover recent and upcoming changes to legislation in Alberta and in the federal jurisdiction, such as:
- What is the status of ongoing legal challenges to the federal government’s use of s. 107 of the Canada Labour Code to intervene in lawful strike actions in the airline, railway, postal, and other sectors? Will recent controversial cases regarding the use by the federal government of Canada Labour Code 107 result in legislative changes?
- What new limits has Alberta’s government introduced regarding the authority of regulatory bodies to discipline professionals for off-duty speech or to impose EDI training?
- What changes to Alberta’s private sector privacy legislation are being considered through the ongoing Personal Information Protection Act consultation? What is the deadline for public bodies to introduce a “privacy management program” pursuant to recent amendments to Alberta’s Protection of Privacy Act, and what must be included in this program?
- What new or expanded leaves have been introduced in Alberta in the past year?
- What are the similarities and differences between Alberta and Quebec legislation restricting the use of union dues for non-core union activities? How has the Alberta Labour Relations Board defined “core” and “non-core activities” when interpreting the relevant provincial legislation?
- What measures have been introduced at a federal and provincial level in response to the trade conflict between Canada and the US?
- Which provinces have passed legislation restricting employers’ rights to ask for doctors’ notes in support of short-term sick leave?
- What measures impacting workplaces were proposed in the federal government’s recent “Canada Strong Budget 2025”? What amendments have recently been made to the Canada Labour Code?
- How far does recent Quebec legislation expand government authority to restrict or end lawful strikes and lockouts and refer labour disputes to interest arbitration?
Final selection of topics will take place in the weeks prior to the conference, ensuring coverage of the latest and most newsworthy topics in a shifting legal landscape.
Break: 10:20 am – 10:35 am
Joseph Marchand
Director
Alberta Centre for Labour Market Research (ACLMR)
Co-Director, Institute for Public Economics (IPE)
Professor, Faculty of Arts – Economics Department
University of Alberta
Amid economic uncertainty, with looming deficits and oil price complications the bargaining environment is more complex than ever. This plenary brings together labour relations experts to explore the latest trends, emerging bargaining priorities, and strategies for negotiating effectively in 2026. Specifically, panelists will address:
- How is Alberta’s economy currently performing, and what do near-term economic forecasts suggest for public-sector bargaining in 2026, including expectations around compensation growth and affordability?
- In what ways has recent legislation, including the Back to School Act and the use of the notwithstanding clause, influenced collective bargaining and labour relations dynamics in Alberta?
- What non‑monetary provisions (e.g., job protections, health and safety workload management, training and development) are becoming important bargaining priorities in the current climate?
- Is uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policies likely to affect bargaining outcomes in Alberta’s broader public sector? Are there other international or federal policy developments that negotiators should be mindful of?
- How can employers and unions best adapt their bargaining strategies to remain effective, constructive, and sustainable amid ongoing economic and political uncertainty?
Lunch: 11:35 am – 12:35 pm
Concurrent Sessions: 12:35 PM – 1:50 PM (Choice of 2 of 3)
Technological advances and evolving societal expectations are driving the need for modernization of collective agreements. This session will equip attendees with the knowledge required to approach bargaining and employee relations more effectively. Specifically, the panel will address:
- In what circumstances will an employer’s return-to-office mandate conflict with the terms of a collective agreement? What aspects of remote or hybrid work arrangements have been negotiated in collective agreements? What flexible work options have the parties considered bargaining that would support employee well-being and attendance?
- How are parties dealing with equity, diversity, and inclusion (“EDI”) issues at the bargaining table? What examples of inclusive leave and benefit provisions are beginning to appear in collective agreements?
- How do inadequate staffing levels and high workloads affect the mental health of employees? How are the parties, during bargaining, working to adjuststaffing levels and workloads? In what other ways are the parties responding to employee mental health during bargaining?
- How are employers and unions reconciling generational differences in the workplace that result in differing bargaining priorities?
- How is the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) impacting employee hiring, management, and work? Are standard “technological change” provisions sufficient to respond to concerns associated with the effect of AI on the workforce?
- What are examples of collective agreement provisions relating to monitoring and surveillance associated with new technologies (e.g. biometric scanning, GPS tracking) in the workplace? How have the parties addressed the privacy issues arising from the use of these new technologies?
- How can parties best learn about the needs of employees or members when preparing for bargaining?
Karen Thibault
Union Representative
Disputes and Arbitrations
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE)
From keystroke logging to recorded video calls, unprecedented tools are available to monitor how and when work gets done. But when does oversight become overreach? What are the legal and practical limits of workplace privacy and surveillance? Panelists will address:
- What constitutes employee “time theft”? How does time theft differ from a lack of productivity? Do employees’ intentions matter when determining if they committed time theft?
- What types of evidence can employers rely on to demonstrate time theft or productivity issues? Will circumstantial evidence suffice?
- How should an employer approach time theft and productivity concerns at a disciplinary meeting? Are employers required to provide advance notice of the dates and times in question? What is the union’s role in this process?
- What disciplinary measures have adjudicators and arbitrators deemed appropriate for time theft?
- What consequences confront employers who impose discipline due to time theft without properly considering or inquiring into an employee’s disability or potential accommodation needs? How should unions support members with disabilities accused of time theft?
- How do adjudicators balance an employer’s right to enforce productivity and an employee’s right to privacy? Does the permissible scope of surveillance differ for remote or hybrid workers?
- Are there any restrictions on how long employers can retain employee information gathered through surveillance? Can employers and adjudicators use data collected previously for another purpose for a future dispute?
- How should workplace policies and collective agreements proactively address time theft?
Lisa Mason
Acting Regional Director – Alberta
Alberta Regional Office
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
As the country navigates turbulent economic times, it is critical that employers and unions understand legal principles and best practices regarding workplace restructuring.
- What options may be available to employers to mitigate economic pressures and what limitations does a unionized environment typically present?
- When is it lawful for an employer to “outsource” work? What factors will an arbitrator consider in determining whether outsourcing constitutes a genuine “contracting out” or an impermissible “contracting in”?
- Can employers reassign duties to supervisors or employees outside the bargaining unit as part of restructuring?
- Will a unilateral reduction in an employee’s working hours or changes to an employee’s shift time, position, job classification, or job location constitute a layoff requiring the application of seniority rights? How does collective agreement language impact the order in which employees must be laid off and their recall and bumping rights?
- When will a “layoff” in fact amount to a termination? How do employees’ entitlements on termination change when they are let go as part of a large-scale restructuring? Does accommodation of a disability play a role in who may be laid off/terminated or in the order of lay off? How does it affect bumping rights?
- Must employers consult with unions when considering workplace restructuring or disclose plans to restructure during collective bargaining?
- What steps should be taken to preserve the morale, health, and safety of employees following a workplace reorganization?
- Have there been any legislative changes and government programs have recently been introduced to avoid or cushion the impact of large-scale downsizing or loss of employment through restructuring?
- Are there any other measures have parties negotiated in collective agreements to address the possibility of future workplace reorganizations?
Break: 1:50 pm – 2:05 pm
Concurrent Sessions: 2:05 PM – 3:20 PM (Choice of 2 of 3)
Technological advances and evolving societal expectations are driving the need for modernization of collective agreements. This session will equip attendees with the knowledge required to approach bargaining and employee relations more effectively. Specifically, the panel will address:
- In what circumstances will an employer’s return-to-office mandate conflict with the terms of a collective agreement? What aspects of remote or hybrid work arrangements have been negotiated in collective agreements? What flexible work options have the parties considered bargaining that would support employee well-being and attendance?
- How are parties dealing with equity, diversity, and inclusion (“EDI”) issues at the bargaining table? What examples of inclusive leave and benefit provisions are beginning to appear in collective agreements?
- How do inadequate staffing levels and high workloads affect the mental health of employees? How are the parties, during bargaining, working to adjuststaffing levels and workloads? In what other ways are the parties responding to employee mental health during bargaining?
- How are employers and unions reconciling generational differences in the workplace that result in differing bargaining priorities?
- How is the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) impacting employee hiring, management, and work? Are standard “technological change” provisions sufficient to respond to concerns associated with the effect of AI on the workforce?
- What are examples of collective agreement provisions relating to monitoring and surveillance associated with new technologies (e.g. biometric scanning, GPS tracking) in the workplace? How have the parties addressed the privacy issues arising from the use of these new technologies?
- How can parties best learn about the needs of employees or members when preparing for bargaining?
Karen Thibault
Union Representative
Disputes and Arbitrations
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE)
From keystroke logging to recorded video calls, unprecedented tools are available to monitor how and when work gets done. But when does oversight become overreach? What are the legal and practical limits of workplace privacy and surveillance? Panelists will address:
- What constitutes employee “time theft”? How does time theft differ from a lack of productivity? Do employees’ intentions matter when determining if they committed time theft?
- What types of evidence can employers rely on to demonstrate time theft or productivity issues? Will circumstantial evidence suffice?
- How should an employer approach time theft and productivity concerns at a disciplinary meeting? Are employers required to provide advance notice of the dates and times in question? What is the union’s role in this process?
- What disciplinary measures have adjudicators and arbitrators deemed appropriate for time theft?
- What consequences confront employers who impose discipline due to time theft without properly considering or inquiring into an employee’s disability or potential accommodation needs? How should unions support members with disabilities accused of time theft?
- How do adjudicators balance an employer’s right to enforce productivity and an employee’s right to privacy? Does the permissible scope of surveillance differ for remote or hybrid workers?
- Are there any restrictions on how long employers can retain employee information gathered through surveillance? Can employers and adjudicators use data collected previously for another purpose for a future dispute?
- How should workplace policies and collective agreements proactively address time theft?
Lisa Mason
Acting Regional Director – Alberta
Alberta Regional Office
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
As the country navigates turbulent economic times, it is critical that employers and unions understand legal principles and best practices regarding workplace restructuring.
- What options may be available to employers to mitigate economic pressures and what limitations does a unionized environment typically present?
- When is it lawful for an employer to “outsource” work? What factors will an arbitrator consider in determining whether outsourcing constitutes a genuine “contracting out” or an impermissible “contracting in”?
- Can employers reassign duties to supervisors or employees outside the bargaining unit as part of restructuring?
- Will a unilateral reduction in an employee’s working hours or changes to an employee’s shift time, position, job classification, or job location constitute a layoff requiring the application of seniority rights? How does collective agreement language impact the order in which employees must be laid off and their recall and bumping rights?
- When will a “layoff” in fact amount to a termination? How do employees’ entitlements on termination change when they are let go as part of a large-scale restructuring? Does accommodation of a disability play a role in who may be laid off/terminated or in the order of lay off? How does it affect bumping rights?
- Must employers consult with unions when considering workplace restructuring or disclose plans to restructure during collective bargaining?
- What steps should be taken to preserve the morale, health, and safety of employees following a workplace reorganization?
- Have there been any legislative changes and government programs have recently been introduced to avoid or cushion the impact of large-scale downsizing or loss of employment through restructuring?
- Are there any other measures have parties negotiated in collective agreements to address the possibility of future workplace reorganizations?
Break: 3:20 pm – 3:35 pm
Employers and unions often need to address the needs of employees and members that may not be immediately visible. In this panel, experts will provide insight into complex accommodation issues and provide guidance on the types of information that can be requested or must be provided in support of various accommodation requests.
Specifically:
- What is “neurodivergence”? What types of medical information can employers request from neurodivergent employees seeking accommodation?
- When is the duty to accommodate a disability triggered? How should employers and unions support employees with episodic or invisible disabilities? What are common workplace accommodations for neurodivergent employees?
- Is a definitive diagnosis, or “objective evidence,” necessary to establish disability? When sick leave abuse is a concern, how can an employer distinguish between employees who have genuine, difficult-to-diagnose disabilities, and employees who are feigning illness? May an employer discipline or dismiss an employee who is frequently absent, underperforming, or exhibiting atypical workplace behaviours but who asserts that it is due to an as-yet undiagnosed disability?
- How should employers and unions handle medical information that is based solely or largely on an employee’s subjective self-reporting of symptoms or non-professional/self-diagnosis? Does the analysis differ for mental health disabilities where diagnoses are largely based on self-reported information?
- When will an employee be allowed to work from home as a form of health-related accommodation? Does an employee’s susceptibility to contracting an illness in the workplace warrant accommodation? What medical information is required to support such a request?
- What are best practices for drafting initial and follow-up letters to medical professionals? Are employers or unions entitled to communicate directly with an employee’s medical professional? Is an employer ever entitled to an employee’s diagnosis?
- When will it be appropriate for an employer to request a fitness-to-work assessment or an Independent Medical Examination (“IME”)? What is the union’s role in this process?
- What kinds of information can employers require to support a request related to family status? How can employers and unions distinguish an employee’s personal preferences from legitimate accommodation needs?
Food and Beverages
Breakfast and lunch to be provided, with a variety of snacks and refreshments available during breaks. Breakfast is provided prior to the workshop and will be available starting at 8:00 am. Please share any dietary requirements at the time of registration so we can best accommodate your needs.
Pricing
Alberta Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference – Evening Day 1 and Full Day 2 (Skills Training Workshop sold separately)
$1,495.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Bundle pricing is available:
Alberta Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference – Bundle (Conference Day + Workshop)
$1,995.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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Attendees can also register for one of three concurrent skills training workshops offered by our Centre for Labour Relations Training & Development, taking place the day before the conference. The workshop includes panel discussions and hands-on scenarios addressing bargaining and labour arbitration challenges and is designed to complement the Alberta Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference. The conference and workshop may be attended separately or as a bundled registration. Attendees have the option to pick one of:
Workshop 2: Honing Your Grievance and Arbitration Skills: Tools and tactics for effective representation
Workshop 3: After the Investigation: Defusing conflicts and restoring workplace relationships
Conference Co-Chairs
Advisory Committee
CPD