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• Division & Section: People & Equity, Employee Relations
• Work Location: METRO HALL, 55 John Street, Toronto
• Job Type & Duration: Full-time,2 Permanent and 2 Temporary (18 Months) Vacancies
• Shift Information: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week per week
• Affiliation: Non-Union
• Number of Positions Open: 4
• Posting Period: 28-APR-2025to 12-MAY-2025

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of over 2.9 million people. Consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities, Toronto is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture.

Recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers and Greater Toronto's Top Employers for 2024, the City of Toronto promotes professional development and is committed to providing opportunities to lead, learn and grow. We value integrity, reliability and fairness, and we embrace the diversity of the people we work with and serve.

Our People and Equity Division delivers critical functions within the City's complex multi-site, multi-division, multi-stakeholder and union and non-unionized environment. A team of approximately 42,000 employees are the driving force behind the City's ability to provide programs and services to residents, business and visitors to this community.

Join our team as a Senior HR Consultant (Labour Relations) to provide critical advice and support to various levels of management within a selected portfolio of client divisions. The successful candidate will manage the grievance process, and will be instrumental in advising on the interpretation and application of collective agreements, investigations and disciplinary actions, the Labour Relations Act and other related employment legislation.

Major Responsibilities:

Your primary responsibilities as Senior HR Consultant (Labour Relations) will be varied and challenging. Specifically, you will:

• Provide senior-level consultation, interpretation and direct employee and labour relations services to a portfolio of divisions regarding collective agreements, investigations and disciplinary action, the Labour Relations Act and other related legislation.
• Conduct thorough, effective grievance investigations by conducting interviews to obtain documentary and other factual data, as well as managing and attending grievance hearings and arbitrations. Investigate allegations of infringements of the Labour Relations Act, 1995, the Human Rights Code, the Employment Standards Act, 2000, and other relevant legislation.
• Provide detailed research and analysis for collective agreement negotiations, and participate directly in the collective bargaining process.
• Mentor and coach consultants, and support staff by providing leadership, developing recommendations, implementing solutions and ensuring quality in service delivery.
• Represent the Employee Relations team on task forces, corporate initiatives, committees, grievance arbitrations and other human resource issues.
• Develop and implement recommendations regarding compliance with collective agreement interpretation and administration, employment law, technical training design requirements, etc. Develop effective labour relations training manuals and deliver training to client groups.
• Provide quality control for work planning, and develop work objectives based on Employee & Labour Relations goals and client needs.
• May be required to travel to various work locations

Key Qualifications:

• Post-secondary education in a related area, CHRP designation, Master of Industrial Relations (MIR) and/or JD/LLB, or a combination of education, training and extensive relevant experience in a similar role.
• Extensive experience and expertise with labour relations issues specific but not limited to grievances, collective bargaining, negotiations and dispute resolution, union relations, and policy guidance in a major, multi-union public or private sector organization. Experiences in arbitrations and mediations, Labour Board and/or related hearings would be strongly preferred.
• Extensive experience interpreting, applying and administering collective agreements.
• Highly developed supervisory and counselling management skills in relation to labour relations techniques, best practices and the resolution of workplace issues with the ability to effectively develop and cultivate productive working relationships with staff at all levels of the organization, including Legal and union officials.
• Progressive experience with private and/or public labour negotiations at the bargaining table, including costing and drafting collective agreement proposals and language.
• Ability to exercise judgement and discretion and apply a broad perspective requiring an integrated knowledge of human resource management, related disciplines and business processes.
• Excellent presentation and strategic communication skills and ability to effectively communicate to different level stakeholders and clients, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with union officials in consultations, grievance handling and collective bargaining.
• Strong ability to identify business needs and opportunities for change/improvement as well as initiating, coordinating and managing the implementation of solutions and preventive measures to potential issues.
• Ability to maintain accurate, detailed documentation and records, both electronically and in hard copy.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing interests in a fast-paced, customer service oriented environment.
• 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.
• Ability to travel to various locations within the City of Toronto, as required.
• Experience with construction trades is an asset.

What We Offer:

• We recognize the need for flexibility and offer a hybrid working environment that will provide you with an appropriate work-life balance required to thrive in today’s fast paced world.
• A strong benefits package which includes competitive salaries, vacation, and other unique offerings.
• We offer an excellent defined pension plan brining added value to overall compensation package through OMERS.
• We support ongoing learning and development and offer educational opportunities with tuition subsidies.
• Opportunities to join and take an active role with City’s Communities of Inclusions comprised of employees who share a common identity, lived experience and/or set of interest and support each other’s professional development, sense of belonging and promote a culture of inclusion.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity .