Labour Relations Certificate - Fall 2025 (Virtual Program)
2025-10-09 12:30 - 2025-11-27 16:00 (America/Toronto) | Virtual Event
In association with:
Upon completion of this program, participants will receive a certificate of completion and a digital credential.
Program Leader

Daphne Taras
Professor Emerita
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
Program Faculty
Coming Soon.

Program
The Labour Relations Certificate Program, presented by Toronto Metropolitan University and Lancaster House, is designed to provide individuals engaged in labour relations with the core skills and knowledge required to create and maintain productive union-management relationships that foster fair and efficient workplaces.
Taught by Canada’s leading labour relations scholars and practitioners, this program combines theory, leading research, and professional experience to provide an education that has immediate application in participants’ workplaces.

Access to leading Canadian experts in a small-group setting
Active learning through group discussion, case studies, and simulations
Balanced coverage of labour and management points of view
Management, union, and neutral attendees learn together
Exposure to diverse opinions and extensive knowledge of fellow participants
Variety of speakers (academics, lawyers, practitioners, subject-matter experts)

Who should attend?

Human resources professionals
Union officers and representatives
Lawyers
Managers
Mediators
Workplace investigators

2025 Fall Schedule†
The Fall 2025 session of the Labour Relations Certificate Program will comprise of 8 sessions over 8 weeks, and will take place on Thursdays from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET beginning October 9, 2025.

Sample Agenda

Video

CPD
Lancaster House provides professional education programs that qualify for CPD credit for human resources professionals, lawyers, and paralegals across Canada.

Vancouver Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector and Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference 2025
2025-11-19 - 2025-11-21 | Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver, 999 Canada Pl #300, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 3B5, Canada
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Conference
Breakfast and Registration: 8:00 am – 9:00 am

Introductory remarks: 9:00 am – 9:05 am

Panel 1 - Scanning the Economic Horizon: Expert insights into B.C.'s financial outlook - 9:05 am – 10:05 am

Alex Hemingway
Senior Economist and Public Finance
BC Society for Policy Solutions

Susan Mowbray
Partner
Economics and Research
MNP

What economic conditions will we face in 2026? In this forward-looking session, economists will examine 2026 economic and fiscal forecasts in B.C. and federally. Specifically, the panel will address:

Provincial and federal growth forecasts;
Inflation, interest rates, and cost-of-living expectations;
Employment and labour market conditions;
Provincial comparisons and impact of tariffs on trade with the United States; and
Economic priorities in 2026 B.C and federal budgets.

Break: 10:05 am – 10:20 am

Panel 2 - From Numbers to Negotiations: Translating economic forecasts into bargaining strategies - 10:20 am – 11:35 am

Norah Miner
Director of Bargaining
Health Sciences Association of BC (HSABC)

Mike Vizsolyi
Executive Director, Employee and Labour Relations
University of British Columbia (UBC)

Experienced negotiators will address challenges in the next round of bargaining in the broader public sector in light of British Columbia’s economic outlook. Specifically, the panelists will address the following questions:

What do recent communications from the Government of British Columbia tell us about the provincial government’s bargaining priorities for currently and for the year ahead?
What economic factors should employers and unions consider when determining bargaining priorities and drafting proposals? Is there anything unique to British Columbia’s current economic situation that negotiators need to pay particular attention to in bargaining?
How will the uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs and the Canadian response impact bargaining? Will any other policies of the current U.S. administration affect bargaining in the broader public sector in Canada? Is the effect of these policies different in the broader public sector than in the private sector?
How will the current state of the economy affect the negotiation of wage increases? How will inflation and the increased cost of living affect bargaining in this area?
How important are non-monetary items for employers and unions when negotiating in the current economic climate? What are some examples of novel non-monetary items that unions are raising at the bargaining table?
How are the parties coping with freezes and layoffs as well as labour shortages in negotiations?

Break: 11:35 am – 11:50 am

Fireside Chat with Krista James - Meeting the Needs of our Intergenerational Workplaces - 11:50 am – 12:20 pm

Krista James
Policy Director and Senior Legal Counsel
Vancouver Coastal Health

Networking Lunch: 12:20 pm – 1:20 pm

Panel 3 - Coping with Current Legislation: Highlighting the top recent cases and legislative developments impacting bargaining in B.C. and nationwide - 1:20 pm – 2:30 pm

Jeremy Bryant
Union Counsel
Banister & Company

Tamara Ramusovic
Union Counsel
Moore Edgar Lyster LLP

Delayne Sartison
Employer Counsel
Roper Greyell LLP

Jessica Thomson
Employer Counsel
Pulver Crawford Munroe

In this session, panelists will examine the latest decisions, legislative changes, and other key developments impacting bargaining in the public sector. The session and materials will delve into topics including:

the legality of recent federal government interventions pausing or prohibiting strikes in the railway, ports, postal, education, airline, and other sectors;

recent labour board decisions addressing issues such as secondary picketing, unfair labour practices and the duty to bargain in good faith, and the use of out-of-province workers to perform struck work;
the impact of recent interest arbitration decisions addressing inflation, staffing and retention, and changing social, political, and economic conditions;
the effect of recent grievance arbitration awards, including cases addressing discriminatory collective agreement language, the use of hiring incentives, and the application of the Charter to B.C. employers in the broader public sector; and
navigating potential conflicts between collective agreement language and changing requirements in employment standards legislation; and
aftermath of the Quebec Casinos

The session will also address key legislative and policy updates, including:

the latest developments in the ongoing review of the B.C. Labour Relations Code;
measures introduced by the federal and B.C. government to avoid or cushion the impacts of ongoing trade conflict;
legislation in Quebec expanding government power to restrict or end strikes and lock-outs and refer certain labour disputes to interest arbitration; and
legislation restricting the use of strike replacement workers passed federally and in Manitoba.

Final topics will be selected in the weeks prior to the conference to ensure coverage of the latest and most important developments in a rapidly changing legal and political landscape.
Break: 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm

Panel 4 - Bargaining Emerging Issues: Climate change, disaster leaves, gig and remote work, new leaves and innovative benefits, new technologies, generational differences and more - 2:45 pm – 4:00 pm

Chris Beneteau
Executive Director, Labour Relations
BC Public School Employers’ Association

Erin Cutler
Senior Legal Director and General Counsel
Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC)

Richard Tones
Director of Negotiations
BC General Employees Union (BCGEU)

Thom Yachnin
Union Counsel
Victory Square Law Office

The future of work is here – is your collective agreement ready? Join this dynamic session to explore how technology, current events, and evolving societal and workplace expectations are driving the need for modernization. Topics to be addressed include:

The impact of artificial intelligence (“AI”) on employee hiring and management;
New technologies related to surveillance and monitoring of employees;
Remote work, flexible work arrangements, and gig work;
Mental health, staffing levels, and workload;
Workplace violence;
Emerging leave and benefit provisions;
Climate change and disaster preparedness;
Equity, diversity, and inclusion; and
Generational differences in workplace and bargaining priorities.

Topics will be finalized in the weeks prior to the conference, ensuring coverage of the latest and most pressing issues.
Closing Remarks: 4:00 pm

RegisterFriday, November 21, 2025
Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference
Breakfast and Registration: 8:00 am – 9:00 am

Introductory remarks: 9:00 am – 9:05 am

Panel 1 - From Hearings to Headlines: Key developments in cases and legislation - 9:05 am – 10:20 am

Valerie Dixon
Legal Counsel – Labour, Employment and Human Rights
City of Vancouver

Jitesh Mistry
Labour Arbitrator and Mediator
Mistry ADR

Erica Sandhu
Union Counsel
Hastings Labour Law Office

In this session, panelists will examine recent significant developments in federal and provincial labour law, exploring emerging trends in a changing world of work. Panelists will address the latest decisions on topics including:
Caselaw:

Government intervention in recent collective bargaining disputes including issues of freedom of association under the Charter
Remedies for breach of employment standards

class actions
arbitration agreements
Supreme Court hearing on Quebec’s secular dress code
upcoming changes

Termination

discharge and discipline
sexual harassment

Labour Board decisions

unfair labour practices
good faith bargaining
remedial certification

Workplace rights and responsibilities

privacy issues
drug and alcohol testing
workplace investigations

discrimination and accommodation
harassment and retaliation

Legislation: The B.C. Labour Relations Code Review Panel report on recommended amendments;
legislation dealing dealing with federal supply chain transparency;
New restrictions on the use of strike replacement workers in federally regulated industries; and
Quebec legislation ensuring parties’ role in arbitrator selection and expansion of government powers to pause or prohibit strikes.

Final selection of topics will take place in the weeks leading up to the conference, ensuring coverage of the latest and most newsworthy developments in a shifting economic and political landscape.
Break: 10:20 am – 10:35 am

Keynote by Stephen Kelleher - Perspectives of a Supreme Court Judge returning to Labour Arbitration and Mediation - 10:35 am – 11:05 am

Stephen Kelleher, K.C.
Arbitrator and Mediator

Arbitrator Kelleher will discuss how labour arbitration has evolved from its original purpose and how it has continued to change with the times. He will compare and contrast litigation in court and labour arbitration. Finally, he will ask whether some court procedures should be considered for the labour arbitration context.Break: 11:05 am – 11:20 am

Panel 2 - Hidden Needs, Hard Questions: Navigating complex workplace accommodations - 11:20 am – 12:30 pm

Brad Cocke
Employer counsel
Cooperwilliams Truman & Ito LLP

Jodie Gauthier
Union Counsel
Black Burke Mayor

Lesley Maisey
Occupational Health Nurse
Specialist For Disability Case Management
Sharezen Group

As workplaces reopen, accommodation requests are becoming more varied and complex. This panel will address health-related accommodations in the context of return-to-work mandates. Specifically, the following questions will be addressed:

What are common medical conditions that elude diagnosis, or that are considered “diagnoses of exclusion”? How do the stereotypes and stigma associated with these conditions contribute to the challenge of providing accommodation?
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?
How should employers and unions handle medical information that is based solely or largely on an employee’s subjective self-reporting of symptoms? Does the analysis differ for mental health disabilities where diagnoses are largely based on self-reported information?
When will it be appropriate for an employer to request an Independent Medical Examination (“IME”)? What if an employee is in a safety-sensitive position or the safety of other employees may be at risk? What is the union’s role in this process?
Can an employee insist on remote work as a form of health-related accommodation? Does an employee’s susceptibility to contracting an illness at the workplace warrant accommodation? Will an employee be entitled to work from home during pregnancy? What is the type and scope of medical information that is required to support these requests?
Does an employer have a duty to accommodate an employee’s commute to work where the employee has a disability? If so, what is considered reasonable accommodation?
How should collective agreements and workplace policies be updated to comply with British Columbia’s new restrictions on sick notes for short-term absences? How do these restrictions affect other responsibilities, such as the duty to accommodate?

Networking Lunch: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Fireside chat - AI and the Labour Relations Problem-Solver: Building Towards Your Irreplaceable Edge - 1:30 pm – 2:15 pm

Carolyn Janusz
Union Counsel
Goodwin Law

John McConchie
Arbitrator and Mediator

Break: 2:15 pm – 2:30 pm

Panel 3 - Pre-hearing Primer: Handling procedural delays, preliminary objections, requests for particulars, and more - 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm

Julia Bell
Employer Counsel
Roper Greyell LLP

Will Clements
Union Counsel
Koskie Glavin Gordon

Ryan Goldvine
Mediator and Arbitrator
Goldvine Dispute Resolution Services
Part-Time Member
BC Employment Standards Tribunal

Effective pre-hearing procedures are critical to the smooth and timely resolution of labour arbitration cases. This panel will offer practical insights on minimizing delays, leveraging emerging technologies, managing preliminary objections, and responding to requests for particulars and production. Panelists will share strategies for addressing common procedural challenges and ensuring hearings proceed efficiently. Specifically, panelists will address:
Delay:

What are the most common pre-hearing bottlenecks and how can they be avoided?
When does delay cross the line into abuse of process? What remedies (such as costs or adjournments) are available?

New Formats:

How do virtual and hybrid formats contribute to pre-hearing efficiency, and what procedural or practical challenges might they create?

Does any guidance exist on permissible uses of Generative AI in pre-hearing stages (g. for document review, timeline automation, etcetera)?

Request for Particulars:

What are best practices for responding to and drafting effective requests for particulars?

What types of statements, information, or documents are protected by privilege, confidentiality agreements, or privacy laws?

Preliminary Objections:

What are the most common types of preliminary objections (e.g. jurisdiction, timeliness, standing), and when should they be raised?

Should parties always raise preliminary objections early, or are there risks in doing so prematurely?

Evidence:

How do arbitrators deal with attempts to introduce evidence regarding exchanges during negotiations, estoppel notices, counterproposals in bargaining, etcetera?

General:

As prehearing processes grow more complex with expanded preliminary issues and interim orders, are they strengthening procedural fairness or complicating efficiency and proportionality?

Closing remarks: 3:45 pm – 4:00 pm

RegisterRegister Vancouver Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Conference$1,395.00Add to cart

Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference$1,395.00Add to cart

Vancouver Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Workshop$1,395.00Add to cart

Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference Workshop$1,295.00Add to cart

Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference & Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Conference$2,295.00Add to cart

Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference & Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Conference – Bundle$2,995.00Select options
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

Wednesday, November 19, 2025Workshops
(The schedule will run concurrently for all workshops)

Bargaining In The Broader Public Sector Conference Workshop
Bargaining for Change: Advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at the table

Hasan Alam
Staff LawyerBC Government and Service Employees’ Union(BCGEU)

Natasha Aruliah
ConsultantJEDDI (Justice, Equity, Decolonising, Diversity and Inclusion) Specialist

Carolyn MacEachern
Employer CounselYoung Anderson

Shelina Neallani
Lawyer, Mediator, and Workplace Assessor

Special opening session led by:

Emily Ohler
Chair British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal

In this interactive workshop, participants will learn legal principles and best practices in negotiating and drafting collective agreements that meet human rights obligations and promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (“EDI”).
Participants will hear from leading experts and work in small groups on skill-building exercises, learning how to apply an EDI lens to bargaining from start to finish. Attendees will learn how to:

Prepare to address EDI effectively in bargaining by evaluating areas for improvement and identifying key issues to be addressed at the table;
Review collective agreements for problematic language and update commonly-used but exclusionary terminology;
Apply lessons learned from recent arbitration decisions in which collective agreement language was proved to be discriminatory;
Craft new collective agreement clauses to remove barriers and promote EDI, incorporating emerging language addressing topics such as cultural and religious diversity, anti-racism, decolonization and Indigenization, disability and mental health, and gender equity and diversity; and
Navigate potential conflicts between language aimed at promoting EDI and other collective agreement rights, such as seniority provisions.

All participants also receive a comprehensive set of digital materials, including textbook chapters, case summaries, and additional resources compiled by Lancaster House program lawyers for continued learning and reference.
Labour Arbitration And Policy Conference Workshop
Honing Your Grievance and Arbitration Skills: Tools and tactics for success

Susanna Allevato Quail
Counsel
Allevato Quail & Associates

Mike Hamata
Employer Counsel
Roper Greyell

Gabriel Somjen
Arbitrator and Mediator

Build your skills in grievance handling and arbitration advocacy through this interactive workshop. Speakers will bring deep insight into the real-world dynamics of grievance resolution, explore how to build a persuasive case, and discuss what matters most in the hearing room.
Through a facilitated discussion and interactive exercises, attendees will learn how to:

Assess the merits of a grievance and progress through key steps in the grievance process in accordance with collective agreement requirements;
Work with grievors who may present as “difficult to work with,” recognizing underlying disabilities, trauma, and other factors which may be impacting communication;
Identify when settlement or mediation is appropriate;
Recognize when a matter is unlikely to settle, assess the appropriate forum, and determine when arbitration is necessary;
Prepare for arbitration and make the most of pre-hearing processes, laying the groundwork to succeed at the hearing;
Navigate key rules of evidence, ensuring a case is presented in full and countering efforts by opposing parties to introduce out-of-bounds evidence; and
Advocate effectively in the hearing, advancing the interests of your member, organization, or client.

Attendees will be encouraged to ask questions and engage with other participants. All other participants also receive a comprehensive set of digital materials, including textbook chapters, case summaries, and additional resources compiled by Lancaster House program lawyers for continued learning and reference.
Register Vancouver Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Conference$1,395.00Add to cart

Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference$1,395.00Add to cart

Vancouver Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Workshop$1,295.00Add to cart

Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference Workshop$1,295.00Add to cart

Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference & Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Conference$2,295.00Add to cart

Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference & Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Conference – Bundle (Conference + Workshop)$2,995.00Select options
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector ConferenceConference Co-chairs

Leanne Bowes
Chief Executive Officer
Post-Secondary Employers’ Association

Elisabeth Finney
Union Counsel
Black Burke Mayor

Conference Advisory Committee

Jeremy Bryant
Union Counsel
Banister & Company

Andrea Mears
Labour Relations Officer Professional Employees Association

Alissa Perry
Director, Employee Relations
BC Public School Employers’ Association

Paul Reniers
Divison Manager, Collective Bargaining
Metro Vancouver

Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference
Conference Co-chairs

Carolyn Janusz
Union Counsel
Goodwin Law

James Kondopulos
Employer Counsel
Roper Greyell LLP

John McConchie
Arbitrator/Mediator

Conference Advisory Committee

Gretchen Brown
Union Counsel
British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF)

Stephanie Mayor
Union Counsel
Black Burke Mayor

Carolynn Ryan
Senior VP People & Chief Human Resources Officer
BC Hydro

Marino Sveinson
Employer Counsel
Pulver Crawford Munroe

CPD
Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Conference CPD

This program has been approved by CPHR BC & Yukon for 5.25 Continuing Professional Development hours.

This program has been approved by the Law Society of British Columbia for 5.25 Continuing Professional Development hours.

Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference CPD

This program has been approved by CPHR BC & Yukon for 5 Continuing Professional Development hours.

This program has been approved by the Law Society of British Columbia for 5 Continuing Professional Development hours.

Vancouver Bargaining in the Broader Public Sector Pre-Conference Workshop CPD

This program has been approved by CPHR BC & Yukon for 5.5 Continuing Professional Development hours.

This program has been approved by the Law Society of British Columbia for 5.5 Continuing Professional Development hours.

Vancouver Labour Arbitration And Policy Pre-Conference Workshop CPD

This program has been approved by CPHR BC & Yukon for 5.5 Continuing Professional Development hours.

This program has been approved by the Law Society of British Columbia for 5.5 Continuing Professional Development hours.

Register
