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Job Summary

The Director, Labour Relations is a strategic leadership role responsible for developing and executing Porter’s labour relations strategy. Reporting to the executive vice president and chief people officer, this role acts as a key advisor to senior leaders on all matters relating to union relationships, collective bargaining, grievance management, arbitration, and labour compliance under Canadian federal law (Canada Labour Code).

The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of the aviation sector, exceptional negotiation skills, and a proven track record of fostering collaborative labour-management relationships that support operational excellence and team member engagement.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a long-term labour relations strategy aligned with business objectives and regulatory obligations.
• Serve as the lead negotiator in collective bargaining with various bargaining units (e.g., pilots, flight attendants, customer service, and ground crew).
• Provide expert advice to executives and managers on labour relations issues, including contract interpretation, discipline, and operational decisions.

• Build and maintain constructive relationships with union representatives across multiple bargaining units.
• Act as the organization’s primary point of contact for union leadership during both routine engagement and during periods of conflict.
• Lead regular labour-management meetings and joint consultation committees to proactively address workplace issues.

• Oversee the end-to-end grievance process, ensuring timely investigation, documentation, and resolution.
• Represent the company at arbitration hearings or coordinate with external legal counsel as necessary.
• Analyze trends and root causes of grievances to recommend policy or procedural improvements.

• Develop bargaining mandates in collaboration with finance, operations, and legal.
• Lead the preparation of proposals and counterproposals, manage negotiations, and oversee ratification processes.
• Ensure accurate implementation of collective agreements and updates to People and Culture systems, payroll, and operations.

• Ensure full compliance with the Canada Labour Code, Canadian Aviation Regulations, Occupational Health and Safety legislation, and other applicable federal labour standards.
• Monitor changes in labour law and industry-specific regulations to mitigate risks and update policies accordingly.
• Actively participate in Porter’s Security and Safety Management System (SMS), including reporting hazards and incidents encountered in daily operations; understand, comply and promote the Company Safety Policy.

• Provide regular reports to senior leadership on key labour metrics, risks, opportunities, and trends.
• Use workforce and labour data to inform strategic decision-making and negotiations.
• Lead labour relations audits and risk assessments.

• Provide training and coaching to People and Culture Advisors and operational leaders on unionized workforce management.

Behavioural Competencies

• Concern for Safety:Identifying hazardous or potentially hazardous situations and taking appropriate action to maintain a safe environment for self and others.

• Teamwork:Working collaboratively with others to achieve organizational goals.

• Passenger/Customer Service:Providing service excellence to internal and/or external customers (passengers).

• Initiative:Dealing with situations and issues proactively and persistently, seizing opportunities that arise.

• Results Focus:Focusing efforts on achieving high quality results consistent with the organization’s standards.

• Fostering Communication:Listening and communicating openly, honestly, and respectfully with different audiences, promoting dialogue and building consensus.

• Exemplifying Integrity: Treating others fairly, honestly, and respectfully, furthering the integrity of the organization and its relationships of trust with team members and the broader community.

• Inspiring Others: Energizing and inspiring others to strive for excellence and commit to common goals and purposes, creating a sense of self-efficacy, resilience, and persistence in followers.

• People Leadership: Assuming a leadership role in helping others achieve excellent results.

• Leading Change: Recognizing the need for change, being open to new ideas and methods, and championing transformational change within the organization and beyond.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Relations, Human Resources, Law, or a related field is required.
• A Master’s degree or LLB/JD is an asset.
• CPHR or CHRL designation is an asset.

• Minimum 10 years of progressive labour relations experience in a unionized environment, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Experience in the aviation or transportation industry is strongly preferred.
• Proven experience in leading complex collective bargaining negotiations and managing multiple union relationships.

• Deep knowledge of Canadian federal labour law and collective agreement frameworks.
• Excellent negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of operational demands in aviation.
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage high-stakes situations with diplomacy.
• Superior interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in labour relations data systems, Google Suite and Microsoft Office.

• Hybrid work environment with travel to airport and union locations as needed.
• On-call availability during high-impact labour disruptions or operational incidents.

Location

Toronto Downtown Office (250 Yonge Street) #LI-Hybrid

Company Description

Since 2006, Porter Airlines has been elevating the experience of economy air travel for every passenger, providing genuine hospitality with style, care and charm. Porter’s fleet of Embraer E195-E2 and De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft serves a North American network from Eastern Canada. Headquartered in Toronto, Porter is an Official 4 Star Airline in the World Airline Star Rating. Visit www.flyporter.com or follow @porterairlines on Instagram, Facebook and X.