Labour Relations Specialist

The Dufresne Group/Ashley Canada; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Educational assistance

Employee discounts

Retirement plan

Professional development

Job summary

The Dufresne Group is seeking a Labour Relations Specialist to support respectful, productive relationships between leaders, team members and union partners at our Mississauga location. The role focuses on applying collective agreements and applicable policies, advising leaders, and resolving workplace concerns.

Ideal candidates bring 2–3 years of hands-on labour relations experience, strong knowledge of Ontario legislation, and the ability to manage multiple sensitive files with discretion.

Qualifications

• 2–3 years hands-on labour relations experience in a unionized environment.
• Experience interpreting collective agreements and handling grievances.
• Strong knowledge of Ontario labour and employment legislation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build productive relationships with leaders, HR partners and union representatives.
• High discretion and attention to detail.
• Self-directed with the ability to manage multiple files.

Responsibilities

• Support interpretation and application of collective agreements, company policies and applicable employment legislation.
• Advise leaders on labour relations and employee relations matters.
• Support the grievance process, review concerns, gather information and prepare responses.
• Assist with workplace investigations and the resolution of employee concerns.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with union representatives, leaders and team members.
• Coach leaders on documentation and consistent practices when addressing workplace matters.
• Support labour relations meetings and prepare related materials and follow-up actions.
• Identify recurring workplace issues and share recommendations with HR and business leaders.
• Maintain accurate, confidential records and prepare reports as required.
• Travel within Canada approximately 10–20% of the time.

Skills

Communication skills

Relationship building

Labor relations

Judgment / analytical

Organizational skills

Education

HR/Labour relations degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Description

The Dufresne Group is the largest licensee of Ashley in Canada, with locations from B.C. to Ontario. Our distribution teams play an important role in getting the home furnishings our guests love to them.

We’re looking for a Labour Relations Specialist to support respectful, productive relationships between our leaders, team members and union partners. If you value fair and consistent workplace practices and want to Make Life Better for our teams and communities, we’d like to hear from you. This role is based at 333 Matheson Blvd W, Mississauga, ON L5R 3G3 .

In this role, you will advise leaders on labour and employee relations matters, support the consistent application of collective agreements and workplace policies, and help resolve workplace concerns.

The Dufresne Group is committed to investing in our team members; we offer:

Annual salary of $60,000–$80,000

Comprehensive benefits plan, educational assistance program and team member discounts

Employer Sponsored Retirement Savings Plan

A collaborative working environment

Opportunities for learning and professional development

The opportunity to work with a purpose-driven organization that is consistently ranked as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies

As a Labour Relations Specialist, you will:

Support the interpretation and consistent application of collective agreements, company policies and applicable employment legislation

Advise leaders on labour relations and employee relations matters

Support the grievance process, including reviewing concerns, gathering information and preparing responses

Assist with workplace investigations and the resolution of employee concerns

Build and maintain effective working relationships with union representatives, leaders and team members

Coach leaders on documentation and consistent practices when addressing workplace matters

Support labour relations meetings and prepare related materials and follow-up actions

Identify recurring workplace issues and share recommendations with HR and business leaders

Maintain accurate, confidential records and prepare reports as required

Travel within Canada approximately 10–20% of the time

As a successful candidate, you will have the following:

Progressive Human Resources experience, including 2–3 years of hands-on labour relations experience in a unionized environment

Experience with collective agreement interpretation, investigations, grievance management, conflict resolution and problem-solving

Sound judgment and objective analysis, with the ability to develop practical recommendations and recognize matters requiring escalation

Strong working knowledge of Ontario labour and employment legislation, including Labour Relations Act, 1995 , Employment Standards Act, 2000 , Human Rights Code , Occupational Health and Safety Act , and applicable workers’ compensation requirements

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear grievance responses, investigation documentation and decision rationales

Ability to build credibility and productive relationships with leaders, HR partners, team members and union representatives

High discretion, professionalism, organization and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple sensitive files and competing deadlines

Self-direction and accountability in managing routine and moderately complex work, while collaborating with and seeking guidance from the Senior HR Business Partner on higher-risk matters

Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn internal systems

A post-secondary education in Human Resources, Labour Relations or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

AI tools may be used during the hiring process to screen, assess or select applicants for the position.