Senior Specialist Labour Relations Arbitration-CA

Canadian National Inc.; Montreal; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Employee share investment program (ESi

Pension

Benefits

Job summary

Canadian National Inc. in Montreal is seeking a Senior Specialist Labour Relations Arbitration to partner with leaders, prepare arguments, and defend the company’s position on LR issues.

You will build solid relationships with union representatives and internal clients to promote a cooperative LR climate. The role involves attending meetings, maintaining grievance records, analyzing trends, coaching managers on contract interpretations, and presenting grievances at arbitration; some travel

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of labour relations experience in a unionized environment.
• Experience interpreting and applying collective agreements and relevant federal employment legislation.
• Experience building strong and positive relationships with stakeholders.
• Equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Support the maintenance of good working relationships with union representatives to promote a co-operative and effective labour relations climate.
• Attend union and management meetings, record decisions and conduct follow ups to ensure appropriate actions are taken.
• Input and update grievance records in a grievance management system.
• Utilize the grievance management system to pull trend reports and analyze data.
• Identify grievance trends and work with leaders on action plans to reduce grievances.
• Coach Front Line Supervisors and middle Managers on key collective agreement issues and grievances.
• Support managers on employee issues, including collective agreement interpretation and discipline.
• Assist the LR Manager with preparing for joint conference or labour-management meetings.
• Hold meetings with union representatives to resolve grievances before arbitration.
• Prepare and present grievances at arbitration.

Skills

Labour relations

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Bilingual (English/French)

Education

Bachelor's or Associates Degree in Labour, Industrial Relations, or equivalent

Job description

Senior Specialist Labour Relations Arbitration-CA

Please note that the language you select on this site will be the primary language used for all future communications regarding your application.

Job Description Senior Specialist Labour Relations Arbitration-CA Req Id: 1277 Job Location: Montreal HQ - QC Business Unit: Human Resources & OHS Highest Level Division: Labour Relations & Compliance Posting Start Date: 10/27/26 Posting End Date: 11/10/26 French/English Bilingual Requirement: No Hiring Salary Range: $89900 - 118000 This range represents the hiring range. Salaries are determined individually depending on skills and experience. You will also be eligible to an annual bonus, employee share investment program (ESIP), Pension, Benefits and other perks. At CN, we are committed to our pursuit of excellence. We take pride in delivering work of the highest standard, continually innovating to shape the railroad of the future. As responsible railroaders, we make the right decisions every time, putting safety first, acting with unwavering integrity, and holding ourselves accountable for our actions. We believe in succeeding together—by fostering inclusivity and collaboration, we sustainably deliver exceptional results for our customers. Join us today and get your career moving!

Job Summary

The incumbent is responsible for collaborating with leaders to identify and prepare arguments to defend the company's position on Labour Relations (LR) issues. The role establishes, maintains, and develops a solid working relationship with union representatives, colleagues, and clients to promote a co-operative and effective LR climate.

Main Responsibilities

• Support the maintenance of good working relationships with union representatives to promote a co-operative and effective labour relations climate
• Attend union and management meetings, record decisions and conduct follow ups to ensure appropriate actions are taken
• Input and update grievance records in a grievance management system
• Utilize the grievance management system to pull trend reports and analyze data
• Identify grievance trends and work with leaders on action plans to reduce grievances
• Coach Front Line Supervisors (FLS) and middle Managers on key collective agreement issues, responding to grievances, and other LR concerns
• Support FLS on employee issues, including collective agreement interpretation, discipline, attendance management, application of the Canada Labour Code and other employer obligations, such as the duty to accommodate
• Assist the LR Manager with preparing for joint conference or labour-management meetings
• Hold meetings with union representatives to resolve grievances before proceeding to arbitration
• Prepare and present grievances at arbitration

Working Conditions

The role has standard working conditions in an office environment with a regular workweek from Monday to Friday and is eligible to participate in CN's hybrid work model. The role involves managing priorities and delivering work within established timelines, with support from the team to ensure sustainable and effective workload management. The role requires minimal travel (10%) within Canada and the United States (U.S.).

Experience

Labour Relations

• Minimum 2 years of labour relations experience in a unionized environment, or equivalent
• Experience interpreting and applying collective agreements and relevant federal employment legislation
• Experience building strong and positive relationships with stakeholders
• Candidates with an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered

Education/Certification/Designation

• Bachelor's or Associates Degree in Labour, Industrial Relations, or equivalent, or minimum 5 years of experience working in a rail or industrial environment
• Candidates with equivalent practical experience, education, or training will be considered

Competencies

• We Care About Each Other
• We Strive for Excellence
• We Succeed Together
• We Lead Responsibly
• Influence
• Stakeholder management
• Build trust
• Listening
• Interpersonal flexibility

Technical Skills/Knowledge

• Ability to prepare consolidated material to be presented to a third party
• Ability to assess and analyze business issues and make recommendations
• Ability to understand and apply key concepts and best practices in LR
• Strong computer skills
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills
• Fluently bilingual, both written and verbal (English, French)

Additional Information (If Any)

About CN CN is a premium railroad that sustainably generates value for our customers, shareholders, employees, and stakeholders with an unwavering commitment to safety and service. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. CN's network connects Canada's Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through an 18,800-mile rail network. CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN powers the North American economy and is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship. At CN, we are dedicated to building North America's safest, most inclusive and sustainable railroad, which includes reflecting the communities in which we operate. Research shows that candidates often don't apply unless they feel they fit the job posting at 100%. To all potential applicants, even if you don't meet every job requirement listed in a posting, we still encourage you to apply. If you require an accommodation for the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials, accessible meeting rooms or other accommodations), please get in touch with our team at [e-mail]. As an equal opportunity employer, qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law. Please monitor your email on a regular basis as communication to applicants is done via email