This timely session brings together a respected arbitrator with experienced labour and management counsel to update you on current trends in grievance arbitration affecting fire services across Canada.

Among Topics to be Addressed:

• Can municipalities terminate accrual of vacation pay or other entitlements where firefighters are on workers’ compensation or long-term disability?
• Can firefighters on workers’ compensation or long-term disability accept temporary employment elsewhere?
• Is union consent required for a change in hours or shifts?
• When are reasonable and customary limits on firefighter benefits valid?
• Can employers require preauthorization of drugs by insurance providers?
• And more.

This session includes updates from a previous program, but those who did not attend the earlier session will still gain tremendous value from the discussion. The content will be fully accessible for new attendees, with updated insights and analysis throughout.

The session emphasizes interactive learning and real-world guidance. Participants will receive materials containing current legislation and key precedent-setting decisions.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify emerging issues and recent arbitration trends in the fire sector across Canada.
• Analyze arbitration awards related to discipline, accommodation, privacy, and workplace safety.
• Apply legal principles to common grievances involving staffing, scheduling, leave, and contract interpretation.
• Understand the scope and limits of management rights, including remote work policies, surveillance, and contracting out.
• Recognize how human rights, duty of loyalty, and off-duty conduct are addressed in arbitration.
• Use the comprehensive reference package as an ongoing resource for grievance handling and workplace decision-making.

Engage more confidently in grievance arbitration processes with enhanced legal insight and practical knowledge.

This session will feature an engaging panel discussion led by an experienced arbitrator and expert union and management counsel.

Panelists will share insights on current issues in fire sector grievance arbitration, using real-world examples and recent decisions to highlight key trends and challenges.

You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions throughout the session and take part in interactive Q&A periods designed to address practical concerns from the field.

Participants will receive a comprehensive reference package, to keep and reference at any time, which includes case summaries, legal analysis, and topic overviews. This package will be referred to throughout the session and will serve as a valuable resource long after the program concludes.

• HR directors, professionals and executives
• Fire chiefs and deputies
• Union officers and representatives
• Grievance advisors and committee members
• Labour lawyers/consultants
• Arbitrators, mediators and adjudicators

If you’re interested in this session, you may also want to attend Bargaining and Interest Arbitration in the Fire Sector: Essentials and 2024 – 2025 Update, taking place. This companion panel offers a focused look at key developments and strategies in interest arbitration in the fire sector. Bundle pricing is available for those who wish to attend both programs.