Job Summary
Located in picturesque Kingston Ontario, Queen’s University is seeking a Senior Academic Labour Relations Advisor, to join our team. Reporting to the Director, Faculty Relations (Director), and as a senior member of the Faculty Relations team, the incumbent will contribute to strategic labour relations decision making, administer three collective agreements, participate in collective bargaining, and provide clients with advice on academic labour relations and employment-related matters. The incumbent will work closely with senior administrators including Deans and others within their client group and with colleagues in Faculty Relations, Human Resources and other shared service units. The incumbent is expected to oversee effective collective agreement administration, build positive and effective relations with union representatives, faculty members and other academic staff, and will lead various projects and activities. The position involves independent decision-making, initiative, and the use of creative problem-solving skills. It requires excellent communication and negotiation skills including the ability to listen and advocate effectively, navigate difficult conversations confidently and the initiative and tenacity to manage complex issues through to completion.
This position is a great opportunity for a labour lawyer, or a human resources (HR) professional with a relevant degree, who is looking for work-life balance, but not at the expense of having challenging and interesting work. Human Resources at Queen’s University is rooted in our values of compassion, curiosity, collaboration, and continuous improvement, we serve as trusted and resilient advisors to the university community, strengthening our workforce with effective talent management practices that propel Queen's forward in its academic mission.
Job Description
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Respects diversity and promotes inclusion in the workplace.
- Actively participates in collective bargaining. Activities will include conduct of client surveys to prepare proposals, conducting briefing/strategy sessions with client group representatives, researching specific issues, preparing proposals and counter-proposals in respect of language and monetary items, providing advice and recommendations with respect to negotiation strategy and actively participating at the bargaining table as Second Spokesperson.
- Liaises with union representatives on matters ranging from specific issues and disputes, including grievances, and participates in committee work and on special projects. Utilizes interactions with union representatives as opportunities to build and maintain effective and productive working relationships.
- Responds to queries/issues raised by senior academic administrators, staffing officers, faculty, staff and union representatives, investigating or overseeing the investigation of the background to the query/issue, providing information and/or possible solutions and in circumstances of conflict, building consensus and resolution in a manner consistent with the relevant collective agreement or policy.
- Manages the process for grievances filed within the incumbent’s client group; liaises with unions in the processing of the grievance, investigates or oversees the investigation of the circumstances of the grievance, prepare relevant materials and correspondence, negotiate settlements, and provide support and instruction to external legal counsel on matters that proceed to arbitration.
- Provides advice and collective agreement interpretation to Academic Labour Relations Advisors handling first stage grievances. Directs and trains Academic Labour Relations Advisors in investigation of the circumstances of grievances. Collects, co-ordinates and analyzes the relative strength of available evidentiary documentation and viva voce evidence. For later stage grievances, prepares relevant materials and correspondence, negotiates settlements, drafts legal settlement documentation, and acts as the client representative for external counsel to direct and co-ordinate the University’s case on matters that proceed to arbitration.
- Working closely with Academic Labour Relations Advisors, responds to queries/issues raised by managers, staff and union representatives, investigates the background to the query/issue, provides advice, effective recommendations and strategies for resolution in circumstances of conflict, builds consensus and implements conflict resolution in a manner consistent with the collective agreement requirements, employment/labour relations legislation/jurisprudence and relevant employment related policy.
- Liaises with various offices and University personnel ranging from administrative assistants to executives on matters ranging from specific issues and grievances to committee work and broad matters of labour relations strategy.
- Leads or participates in various joint committees for QUFA and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Local 901 Unit 1 and 2. This includes the Queen’s-QUFA Joint Committee on the Administration of the Agreement (JCAA), sub-committees of the JCAA and joint committees that may arise either as a result of formal agreement or on an ad hoc basis. Activities may include acting as spokesperson, speaking to issues, and conducting or assigning related research.
- Participates in and/or lead various internal committees. Activities may include leading meetings, speaking to issues, or doing or overseeing research to address issues.
- Co-ordinates and/or leads workshops for academic administrators, staffing officers and other University personnel on the administration of collective agreements.
- Develops and leads training education workshops for management, staffing officers, Human Resources colleagues and other University personnel concerning collective agreement interpretation and administration and provides ad hoc training to all client groups as requested in connection with specific issues arising out of collective agreement administration.
- Conduct special projects as assigned by the Director (Faculty Relations) or in response to issues within the incumbent’s client group. This will include developing collective agreement interpretations or policies/procedures/protocols; preparing documents, reports, presentations, positions papers etc.; and working with HR colleagues, faculties and/or departments on longer term and/or more significant employee relations/employment- related issues.
- May act as University lead in respect of legal proceedings (i.e. human rights applications, grievance arbitrations, etc.) pertaining to academic labour relations matters within the incumbent’s client group.
- Maintains current knowledge and awareness of labour and employment laws, human resource best practices, labour relations standards and practices and legislative changes to ensure the University's compliance.
- Provides technical / functional guidance to staff. Reviews assignments and provides feedback. Provides input on work performance to management staff.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- University degree in labour relations, human resources management, or law (i.e. LL.B or J.D.), with a minimum of 8 to 10 years of labour relations experience in a multi-bargaining unit setting.
- Experience actively participating at collective bargaining tables, minimally as the Second Chair.
- Proven track record, ideally within a large, complex organization, in hearing and responding to grievances, negotiating settlements, preparing for and presenting at arbitrations and establishing effective relationships with unionized and non-unionized employees.
- Demonstrable knowledge of collective agreement administration and labour relations and grievance practices and procedures, and an in-depth knowledge of labour law and employment-related legislation.
- Experience working in the broader public sector, and within a university environment, understanding university culture, governance, policies, practices and procedures would be considered an asset.
SPECIAL SKILLS:
- Promotes the value of diversity and the importance of being an inclusive organization and ensures equitable and fair treatment of others and actively works to make the workplace inclusive for all individuals.
- Excellent communication (oral and written), conflict resolution and negotiation skills including the ability to listen effectively, articulate and advocate effectively, and problem solve creatively. Must have the capacity to listen, understand, assimilate and reconcile complex situations and divergent perspectives, often in situations where some level of conflict is present. A track record of effective leadership and participation in difficult conversations.
- Recognizes diversity of abilities and adapts content, tone, medium and style to audience to be inclusive.
- Flexible, innovative and creative. Intuitive, confident, self-motivated and able to work independently with autonomy and in a team environment.
- Ability to contribute to building positive, constructive, modern labour relations, with responsibility as key contact person with union leaders.
- Demonstrable track record of developing, mentoring and training junior colleagues.
- Excellent organizational, research and administrative skills; ability to cope with multiple demands, manage and execute competing priorities, and meet deadlines.
- In cases of alleged harassment, discrimination, misconduct or other policy breaches, exercise judgment objectively and conduct fact findings exercises and workplace investigations to identify the best course of action, make recommendations, and prepare reports.
- Strong orientation to building relationships and delivering quality service to clients, with the initiative and tenacity to work with complex issues through to completion. Addresses diversity and inclusivity issues and supports others.
- Ability to move from high level conceptualization to detailed and thorough implementation with the ability to engage in both independent and consultative decision making so as to move issues forward and build necessary consensus around a resolution.
- Demonstrated strong analytical, research and problem solving skills to determine the appropriate strategy and recommendations on issues surrounding collective bargaining or collective agreement interpretation.
- Proven ability to appreciate the budgetary and precedential consequences of decision making.
DECISION MAKING:
- Determines appropriate direction, advice and support for clients in order to achieve effective academic labour relations including management of collective agreements.
- In consultation with Faculty Relations team and clients, decides on appropriate interpretation and administration of collective agreements and advises clients on the implementation of those decisions.
- As Second Spokesperson, consults with other members of bargaining teams to determine appropriate strategies and tactical plans at the bargaining table in order to negotiate collective agreements to mandate.
- Make decisions on the appropriate resolution of issues such as grievances and other disputes. Gives appropriate regard to the benefit of settlement relative to the potential costs and precedential nature of the settlement.
- Provide leadership on grievance administration and arbitration processes relating to academic labour relations for the University. Make decisions on instructions to be provided to external legal counsel with regard to the management of a case.
- In conjunction with the Faculty Relations team and other senior University administrators, determines University labour relations and collective bargaining strategy and provides recommendations on approach.
- Determines support required from other members of the Faculty Relations team and directs and oversees the work associated with the delivery of that support.
- Determine content and structure of draft reports, proposals and agreements.
- Determine and establish approaches to analytical problems and determine content/substance of reports.
- Determine the most efficient method of dealing with existing processes; provide advice and recommendations for changes to processes and policies.
- Identify and make recommendations to the Director (Faculty Relations) regarding the design and delivery of workshops required for academic administrators, staffing officers and other University personnel with regard to the administration of the collective agreements.
