HR CONSULTANT Full-time Job

Under the supervision of a Manager, Employee Relations and direction from a Senior Consultant, the HR Consultant, (Labour Relations) is responsible for providing sound employee and labour relations advice to one or more assigned divisions.

• Provides advice and guidance relative to employee and labour relations matters, the administration, interpretation and application of various collective agreements (Local 416, Local 79, Local 2998, Local 3888 or Construction Trades) and the handling of complaints/disputes and/or grievances for both union and excluded staff.
• Works together with division managers and the employee and labour relations community to identify and resolve problems and establish processes and procedures in a cooperative and collaborative manner.
• Performs thorough and effective complaint and grievance investigations, for both policy and individual matters, by conducting interviews and obtaining such documentation and other relevant data as may be required, conducts grievance meetings with unions, explores settlement options, prepares minutes of settlement and step 2 and 3 grievance responses.
• Assists internal and where required, external legal counsel with the preparation and presentation of matters at arbitration, and before the Ontario Human Rights Commission and the Ontario Labour Relations Board.
• Acts as a spokesperson on or participates in various committees flowing from the collective agreements.
• Works in partnership with the unions to resolve problems and develop cooperative collaborative workplace practices.
• Investigates issues/concerns, both policy and individual, raised by the various unions, executive management and Council, and prepares summaries, recommendations and responses.
• Coordinates and conducts mediation sessions with various unions and works with client divisions and unions to determine agenda items.
• Provides support in preparing for and may participate in collective bargaining
• May be required to coordinate information gathering, develop comparison library and monitor settlement trends, survey comparable organizations and summarize terms and conditions of employment, and liaise with Finance, People & Equity, Legal and others to secure necessary information.
• May assist in the preparation and analysis of cost and benefit data for management and union proposals, and with drafting collective agreement language.
• May review and analyze trends in labour and employee relations and other related legislative areas, including, but not limited to new developments in employment, employee rights, human rights, ESA and labour relations legislation, arbitration and applicable court decisions and settlement patterns.

Key Qualifications

1. Considerable experience in human resource services functions in a major unionized public or private sector organization related to Labour/Employee Relations.
2. Considerable and proven experience with consultation skills at all levels within the organization and demonstrated ability to interact with clients.
3. Excellent oral and written communication, presentation, negotiation and human relations skills.
4. Ability to maintain accurate and detailed documentation and records, both electronically and in hard copy.
5. Ability to exercise discretion and judgment and work independently and as a team lead or team member.
6. Ability to identify needs, and initiate, coordinate and manage projects.   Highly developed analytical and problem-solving skills.
7. A thorough knowledge of employment and related legislation (e.g., Ontario Labour Relations Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Workers Safety and Insurance Act, Human Rights Code, Employment Standards Act), equity principles, contractual obligations and sound human resource practices.
8. Ability to develop and maintain productive working relationships with staff at all levels within the Employee Relations unit and corporate HR teams, client divisions, Legal and union officials.
9. CHRP designation, MIR or JD/LLB will be considered an asset.