The Labour-Management Relations Certificate

 



Program Overview

The Labour-Management Relations Certificate is an intensive 4-day program that would be beneficial for anyone working in a unionized environment. The program is specifically targeted toward those operating in key labour relations positions, including union leaders and officers, human resource managers and advisors, workplace consultants, and neutral government officials.

The Labour-Management Relations Certificate program covers fundamentals of labour relations, collective bargaining, mediation and grievance arbitrationlabour and employment lawand emerging workplace issues. It offers a rare opportunity for union leaders, managers, and neutrals to trade perspectives and share ideas with industrial relations experts. The program incorporates active learning through group discussions and includes a collective bargaining simulation. 

 

 

Fundamentals of Labour Relations and the Employment Relationship

  • Roles of the different parties (union, management, government, third parties)
  • Best practices for good labour-management relationships
  • Changing attitudes toward work

Collective Agreement Arbitration

  • Understanding the arbitration process
  • Building a strong case
  • How to think like an arbitrator
  • Landmark arbitration decisions

Mediation

  • When is mediation appropriate or necessary?
  • Dealing with workplace conflict
  • Understanding conflict and communication styles

Collective Bargaining

  • Understanding the bargaining context
  • Developing negotiation strategy
  • Building strong and effective bargaining teams
  • Leveraging conflict to get results
  • Finding common ground
  • Maintaining good relationships
  • Enhancing integrity and professionalism

Legal Framework

  • Interpreting labour law
  • Understanding labour legislation
  • Human rights/contracts/employment standards
  • Duty to accommodate
  • Privacy rights
  • Progressive Discipline
  • Drug Testing

  • Key Learning Objectives
    • Understand major legislative and workplace issues surrounding collective bargaining, mediation, and grievance arbitration
    • Develop practical skills and learn tools for effective communications, negotiations, and conflict resolution
    • Explore how to develop fair and effective solutions to common labour relations problems in organizations
    • Provide an opportunity for union leaders and officers, managers and human resource professionals, and neutral mediators, arbitrators and government officials, to come together in a safe and collaborative learning environment and be exposed to diverse perspectives
    • Practice negotiation skills and collective bargaining through customized simulation experiences
  • Who Should Attend
    • Union Leaders and Officers 
    • Human Resource Managers and Strategic Business Advisors  
    • Labour Relations Managers and Professionals 
    • Mediators and Labour Arbitrators 
    • Neutral government officials 
    • Workplace Consultants 
    • Lawyers with an interest in labour and employment relations 
  • How Will This Program Benefit Me
    • Improve labour-management relationships
    • Effectively prepare for collective bargaining
    • Understand labour law and emerging legal issues
    • Navigate investigations, mediation and arbitration
    • Gain access to experts and leaders in the labour relations field
    • Utilize newly-built professional relationships to strengthen your network
  • What Is Included
    • All learning materials provided digitally through Canvas
    • Certificate of Completion
    • Credential to add to your CV and LinkedIn Profile 
    • 22.75 CPHR Saskatchewan Continued Professional Development (CPD) Hours

Funding Available

Check out the funding opportunities available through the Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant

2024 Session

Fees: $4,500 plus Taxes

Registration Deadline: To Be Announced

Location: K W Nasser Centre

Program Schedule

Dates TBC

More Information

In-person delivery occurs at K W Nasser Centre with all learning materials provided digitally on Canvas. In-person delivery includes instructor facilitation, small group exercises, large group discussions, interactive learning, networking and ample breaks and opportunities for questions and discussions. Participants will be required to bring a laptop/digital device to access all learning materials during the program. Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be provided. Please read our COVID-19 information page for expectations and how to prepare for your program.

Course Planner

For more information, contact

Rebecca Schweighardt
Learning and Development Specialist
306-966-7956
Email Me

"It was hard work, but enjoyable and rewarding. I was very impressed in the quality of the people we had teaching us. I’m leaving feeling that I have gained a lot of understanding in labour relations and have new tools to use in the workplace." 
_____

Rebecca Fitleaum

Prairie Sky Co-operative Association Ltd.

Program Faculty

Our program instructors are top academics from the University of Saskatchewan in the areas of Industrial Relations and Human Resources. In addition to our well-qualified instructors, we will be joined by industry expert guest lecturers who will discuss special topics and contribute a balanced perspective.

  • Instructor Profiles
    dionne-pohler.png

    Dionne Pohler, PhD, B.Comm, CPHR

    Dr. Dionne Pohler is an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan Edwards School of Business. She also holds the Co-operative Retailing System Chair in Co-operative Governance with the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives and is a research fellow with the Rotman Institute for Gender and the Economy. She was previously a faculty member and Acting Director at the University of Toronto Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources and vice-chair of a federal independent taskforce responsible for making recommendations on modernizing the Employment Equity Act. Dionne holds a PhD in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Alberta School of Business, a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University, and a Chartered Professional in Human Resources designation from CPHR Saskatchewan. She has been the recipient of four international research awards and her work covers topics including: unions and labour relations, organizational governance, labour and social policy, gender earnings gaps, and rural co-operative development. She edited the U.S. Labor and Employment Relations Association’s 2020 research volume Reimagining the Governance of Work and Employment, and co-edited Building Inclusive Communities in Rural Canada (2023). She holds four international research awards and three university teaching awards. Dionne was also a founding board member of Co-operatives First, a non-profit organization that helps rural and Indigenous entrepreneurs across western Canada build new co-operative businesses, grow local economies, and support development in their communities. 

    Scott

    Scott Walsworth, PhD, LLM, MIRHR, BA

    Dr. Scott Walsworth is an Associate Professor of Industrial Relations at the Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan. Before joining the University in 2007, he completed a Ph.D. and a Masters degree in Industrial Relations at the University of Toronto.  Most recently, he completed a Master of Law (LLM) in employment and labour law at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. He is the former president of the national Canadian Industrial Relations Association (CIRA). In 2019, he began a four-year term as the Chair of the Educational Relations Board, a position created by the Saskatchewan Education Act to oversee labour relations between the province and its 17,000 teachers. Since 2020, Scott has worked as a labour arbitrator, adjudicating cases in the healthcare, public and private sectors. He was the principal investigator on a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant to investigate how, and under what circumstances, unions affect management decisions and firm outcomes, such as innovation, profits and employment growth. His work is published in several top journals including Industrial Relations (Berkeley), Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations and the International Journal of Human Resource Management. He teaches university courses on human resources, industrial relations, and labour and employment law. He muddles through life in the company of a lovely wife, four energetic sons, and two lazy cats. 

    August 1, 2023 - Walsworth appointed USask's vice-provost, faculty relations read more

    Perry

    Perry Sirota, PhD, MBA

    Perry Sirota is a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, and organizational consultant, based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Queen's University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He divides his time equally between a thriving clinical and consulting practice, that includes; psychological assessments and consultations relating to litigation, accommodation, disability management, threats, and violence; workplace investigations and workplace conflict; and organizational consulting, coaching, training and conducting workshops. Training and workshops cover a range of topics, including workplace mental health, bullying and harassment, respectful workplaces, leadership, and substance abuse. Dr. Sirota has a special interest and extensive experience in the unionized workplace setting. Dr. Sirota also prepares psychological evaluations for courts and administrative tribunals and has testified over 400 times as an expert witness in the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, Provincial Court, Family and Youth Court, and at labour arbitrations. 

     

  • Guest Speakers

    Aaron Fornwald photo

     

     

    Aaron Fornwald, Vice President, Human Resources Business Partners, Nutrien

    Aaron is a Saskatchewan lifer. Raised on a farm in southern Saskatchewan and a graduate of Edwards School of Business, Aaron spent 20 years in Human Resources and Management in health care with a focus on Labour Relations.  During his time in Health Care, he was on numerous provincial bargaining tables as employer rep for health regions. 16 years ago, he made the move to the mining and agriculture space with Nutrien, formerly PotashCorp. He began as the Director of Employee and Industrial Relations, responsible for leading negotiations on behalf of the company with its five 5 unionized mine sites. He is currently the VP overseeing the Human Resources Business Partner team that supports leaders and employees in Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potash and the Corporate functions within North America and Trinidad. He has a passion for leadership and creating inclusive workplaces where everyone can be their authentic self and feel psychologically safe.

     

    Christine Mintenko Photo

     

    Christine Mintenko, Senior Labour Relations Consultant, Gov of SK Public Service Commission

    Christine Mintenko has spent the last 15 years of her career working in Human Resources with the Government of Saskatchewan, with the last 7 years spent in the specialized field of employee and labour relations. On a daily basis, Christine provides advice, guidance and coaching to the Human Resource Business Partners and Ministry leadership on culpable/non-culpable performance management, grievance and third-party disputes, risk management and interpretation of Government’s collective agreements. She is also responsible for preparing and presenting grievance files at third party arbitration. In her spare time, Christine loves to explore the outdoors with her faithful golden retriever Oliver and, with her recently received new 10 year-passport, plans to travel to even more countries than she did in the previous 10 years.

     

    Kristin Anderson, MPhil.CMed

    Kristin has been the Executive Director of Labour Relations and Mediation at the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety and has been with LRWS since 2011. She holds over 20 years of experience working with conflict and developing programs to prevent or address conflict and leading teams of professionals. Kristin’s areas of expertise are restorative justice, peacebuilding, human rights, civil conflict, cross cultural conflict, reconciliation, labour disputes and labour negotiations. As an experienced negotiator and mediator. Kristin has been involved in effectively resolving high conflict disputes in South Africa, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Namibia and Canada, helping people come to agreements in desperate situations.

    Kristin holds a Master’s Degree in Transitional Justice and a Post-Graduate Degree in Social Development, from The University of Cape Town, as well as a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Saskatchewan. She is a Chartered Mediator with ADR Canada.

     

    Photo of Julee Sanderson

     

     

     

     

     

    Julee Sanderson, First National Vice President Canadian Union of Postal Workers at CUPW-STTP

    Having worked as a member of the Human resources committee on behalf of CUPW Julee was jointly responsible for the negotiation of two collective bargaining agreements. With experience in both written contract language and interpreting such, she has assisted in grievance, consultation, end stage arbitration, human rights tribunal complaints as well as Workers compensation and Short term disability appeals. 

    Elected as the First National Vice-President in 2019, Julee was one of 15 National Executive Board members for CUPW, representing over 60,000 members.

    Julee was invited as a guest lecturer to McGill, Concordia, York as well the Rutgers conference on Postal and Delivery economics covering topics ranging from Labour's role in the Environment crisis to the history of labour and the impacts of digitization as well as Union/Management relations.

    She has represented her Union in tripartite discussions with the Crown Corporation, the Federal Government and the Canadian Labour Congress.

    Julee is a graduate of the Labour College of Canada where she studied the foundations of a Political economy, theory and practice of unions, truth and reconcili-action, Governance-laws and policies, equity and Human rights, Women and Gender advocacy as well as Intersectional decision making practices.

  • Message from the Program Director

    “The union-management relationship is the most important in a unionized workplace because of the profound impact it has on organizational effectiveness and employees’ lives. Building and maintaining this relationship requires finding good solutions to labour relations problems. In this program, participants develop their knowledge of what works and what doesn’t in unionized organizations, as well as the skills and tools necessary to help fix a problem or repair a relationship.” 

    _____

    Dionne Pohler

Offer This Program In-House

Interested in bringing this program to your organization or team within your organization? Fill out our Online Needs Assessment form and show your interest in bringing this program in-house or customized based on your needs.

Cancellation

University of Saskatchewan's liability is limited to reimbursement of paid tuition fees.

Cancellations received at least fifteen (15) business days in advance of the program commencement date will receive a full refund. Cancellations received less than fifteen (15) business days prior to the program commencement date will be subject to a $1000 administration fee. Cancellations received less than five (5) business days prior to the program commencement date will be subject to full program tuition cost.

Non-attendance will incur full program tuition cost.

Fees subject to change without notice.

Program Transfers

One program transfer will be permitted without penalty if the cancellation request is received more than fiftnee (15) business days prior to the program start date. Program transfers within fifteen (15) business days of the program start date will be subject to a $300 administration fee.

Alternate program transfers may be approved dependent on program availability. Transfer requests must be scheduled within six (6) months of the initial purchase.

Applicants will be responsible for any price difference in program fees at the time of the request. Each subsequent transfer request will be subject to $300 administration fee.

Other programs you may be interested in