BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Lancaster House - ECPv6.15.4//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://lancasterhouse.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Lancaster House REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20260101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261112T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261112T170000 DTSTAMP:20260715T093650 CREATED:20250228T181754Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260701T144121Z UID:16136-1794481200-1794502800@lancasterhouse.com SUMMARY:Reading it Right: Essential and emerging principles of collective agreement interpretation (Virtual Event) DESCRIPTION:Program Overview \nAn understanding of the principles of contract interpretation is indispensable for anyone involved in the negotiation or administration of a collective agreement\, from front-line managers and union representatives to advocates in the arbitration process. The ground rules of collective agreement interpretation have seen a notable shift in recent years. While the traditional techniques of reading a collective agreement\, such as the “plain meaning” rule\, still play a central role\, arbitrators increasingly utilize a more “contextual” approach that takes into account relevant background in order to determine the parties’ intent. In this workshop\, experienced counsel will equip participants with the knowledge they need to deal effectively with the wide array of interpretation disputes that arise in a unionized setting. \n\nWhat are the most commonly applied rules of collective agreement interpretation? \nWhat is the difference between the “plain meaning” approach and a purposive approach? \nWhen can evidence of past practice or negotiating history be used as an aid to interpretation? \nHow do arbitrators reconcile negotiated contract language and the contrary provisions of employment-related statutes\, e.g. human rights and employment standards legislation? \nWhat is “contextual evidence\,” as set out by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Sattva case? In what circumstances can such evidence be admitted and relied upon to shed light on the meaning of a disputed clause? \nHow has the use of the “contextual” approach changed the way in which established rules of interpretation are applied? \n\n\nWho Should Attend?\nThis workshop is ideal for anyone involved in the negotiation\, interpretation\, or enforcement of collective agreements\, including:  \n\nUnion Representatives and Labour Advocates – Individuals responsible for interpreting and enforcing contract language\, representing members in disputes\, and participating in grievance or arbitration processes. \n\n\nHuman Resources and Labour Relations Professionals – HR and LR staff who draft\, negotiate\, or apply collective agreement provisions in the workplace and need to understand how arbitrators interpret contract language. \n\n\nLabour and Employment Lawyers – Legal professionals advising clients or representing parties in arbitration who require up-to-date knowledge of interpretive rules and case law. \n\n\nFront-Line Managers and Supervisors – Operational leaders tasked with day-to-day contract administration who benefit from understanding the principles behind key provisions. \n\n\nArbitrators\, Mediators\, and Adjudicators – Dispute resolution professionals who interpret collective agreement language and must stay current on evolving approaches in arbitral and legal decisions. \n\n\nWhat to Expect:\nIn this virtual skills training workshop\, an experienced arbitrator\, joined by labour and management counsel\, will guide participants through the foundational principles and evolving practices of collective agreement interpretation. From front-line administration to arbitration advocacy\, a clear understanding of how language in a collective agreement is interpreted is essential for effective labour relations.  \nThrough interactive case studies and guided discussions\, participants will explore both traditional and modern interpretive approaches\, including how arbitrators balance plain meaning with contextual evidence\, and when past practice or negotiating history can be considered. The session will also examine the implications of recent case law and how statutory rights interact with collectively negotiated provisions.  \nParticipants will have the opportunity to ask questions throughout the session\, engage in hands-on exercises\, and receive digital resources including case summaries and interpretive tools developed by Lancaster House program lawyers for ongoing use and future reference.  \n\nLearning Outcomes:\nParticipants will leave this training equipped to:  \n\nApply key principles of collective agreement interpretation; \nRecognize when contextual evidence or past practice is relevant; and \nResolve interpretation disputes using recent case law and best practices. \n\n\nPricing \n$995.00Add to cart \n \n \n\nProgram Leader \n\n\n \nJohn McConchie\nArbitrator and Mediator \n\n\nSpeakers \n\n\n \nJorge Hurtado\nUnion Counsel\nMorrison Watts \n\n\n \nSarah MacKay Marton\nEmployer Counsel\nSherrard Kuzz LLP \n\n\nCPD \nCPD\n\n\nThis program has been approved by CPHR Alberta for 4.5 Continuing Professional Development hours.\n\n\n\n\nThis program has been approved by CPHR BC & Yukon for 4.5 Continuing Professional Development hours.\n\n\n\n\nThis program has been approved for 4.5 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours under Section A of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Log of the Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA).\n\n\n\n\n \n\nThis program has been approved by the Law Society of British Columbia for 4.5 Continuing Professional Development hours.\nMembers of the Law Society of New Brunswick may consider this program for 4.5 Continuing Professional Development hours.\nMembers of the Law Society of Ontario may consider counting this program for 4.5 Substantive hours; 0 Professionalism hours.\nMembers of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society may consider counting this program for 4.5 Continuing Professional Development hours. URL:https://lancasterhouse.com/event/reading-it-right-essential-and-emerging-principles-of-collective-agreement-interpretation/ LOCATION:Virtual Event CATEGORIES:Skills Training ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://lancasterhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Reading-it-Right-banner.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20261112T123000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20261112T140000 DTSTAMP:20260715T093650 CREATED:20250825T193337Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260624T153111Z UID:17506-1794486600-1794492000@lancasterhouse.com SUMMARY:Family Status Accommodation in BC: Exploring caselaw\, challenges\, and emerging trends through practical scenarios DESCRIPTION:Select an option\n \n Live Webinar \n \n Live Webinar\, video\, and MP3 Bundle \n \n\n \n\n Add to Cart\n \n\n \n \n\nRecent decisions signal a shift in family status accommodation cases. In this webinar\, through interactive scenarios\, panelists will review key cases shaping the law\, examine practical challenges facing both employers and employees\, and explore emerging trends that are redefining family status accommodation. Whether you’re implementing accommodation policies\, advising clients\, or managing requests for flexible work\, this session will help you stay ahead of emerging trends and avoid compliance risks. \nPanelists will address the following questions: \n\nIn what circumstances have adjudicators found that employees must be accommodated through work-from-home arrangements to accommodate child\, spousal\, or elder-care responsibilities?\nWhat information can employers reasonably require to support work-from-home arrangements in order to accommodate family responsibilities? Can employees be required to use their own resources before asking management for accommodation?\nWhen will a requirement that an employee return to in-person work amount to a bona fide occupational requirement? When will an employer be able to establish that it would amount to undue hardship to allow an employee to work on a remote\, hybrid or flexible basis?\nWhat practical considerations should be considered when assessing whether employees should be permitted to work from home? What flexible working options are available other than remote or hybrid work?\nWhat trends are emerging in damage awards for discrimination\, failure to accommodate\, and reprisals relating to family status claims?\n\nModerator \n\n\n \nHeather Hoiness\nStaff Lawyer\nBC Office of the Human Rights Commissioner \n\n\nSpeakers \n\n\n \nKatie Comley\nEmployer Counsel\nRoper Greyell \n\n\n \nSarbjit (Bobby) Deepak\nUnion Counsel\nNorth Labour Law Corporation \n\n\n \nCathy Knapp\nArb/Med \nTribunal mediator\nBCHRT \n\n\nLive Webinar: Attend the session in real time and engage directly with the speakers. \nIncludes: \n\nDownloadable comprehensive reference materials researched by Lancaster House lawyers\nAccess to the live session\nOpportunity to ask the experts direct questions and participate in the chat with your peers\n\nOption: Live Webinar$295.00Add to cart \n \n \nBundle (Video\, MP3\, & Audio) Get the full live experience plus post-event resources for continued learning. \nIncludes: \n\nDownloadable comprehensive reference materials researched by Lancaster House lawyers\nAccess to the live session\nOpportunity to ask the experts direct questions and participate in the chat with your peers\nVideo recording of the session\nMP3 audio recording\nFull transcript\n\nOption: Live Webinar\, video\, and MP3 Bundle$595.00Add to cart \n \n \nWebinar On Demand Access the session anytime\, at your convenience. On-demand content is only available after the live session has concluded. For a full list of Lancaster’s library of webinars on demand\, click here. \nIncludes: \n\nDownloadable comprehensive reference materials researched by Lancaster House lawyers\nVideo recording of the session\nMP3 audio recording\nFull transcript\n\nAccreditation \nCPD\nLancaster House provides professional education programs that qualify for CPD credit for human resources professionals\, lawyers\, and paralegals across Canada. URL:https://lancasterhouse.com/event/family-status-accommodation-in-bc-exploring-caselaw-challenges-and-emerging-trends-through-practical-scenarios/ LOCATION:Virtual Event CATEGORIES:Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://lancasterhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/family-status-accommodation-in-bc-exploring-caselaw-challenges-and-emerging-trends-through-practical-scenarios.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR