Director Labour and Employee Relations

Reporting to the Vice President Labour Relations, the incumbent acts as a key member of the Labour Relations (LR) team and the Human Resources (HR) Leadership Team and is the LR lead for the ParaMed home care business for all aspects of labour and employee relations (LR/ER). Under the direction of the Vice President, Labour Relations this position is responsible for the strategic and tactical execution of the Employee and Labour Relations strategy including establishing and gaining approval for collective bargaining mandates and managing all aspects of grievances filed by ParaMed’s unions.

This position is located at our Head Office in Markham, Ontario. Extendicare offers a hybrid working environment. Some travel as required.

What you will do:

• Participate in the development of the ParaMed LR/ER strategic and tactical plan, as well as contributing, along with all members of the HR leadership team, the formulation of HR’s operational and strategic goals and objectives.
• Operationalize the LR strategic plan.
• Act as ParaMed's chief negotiator for collective bargaining
• Manage the implementation of negotiated collective agreements, and provide guidance to other stakeholders on the interpretation of clauses within those collective agreements.
• Ensure Execution of the LR/ER Centre of Expertise, including training, coaching, and development of the LR team and partner with the Human Resources Business Partners and other stakeholders to prepare and present LR training content as needed.
• Work with appropriate stakeholders with respect to grievances, complaints and conflict resolution and represent ParaMed at arbitrations and labour relations board hearings when necessary and retain and manage External Legal Counsel as needed.
• Advise and assist managers at all levels in the organization to advance and meet ParaMed's goals of establishing practices and policies for consistent and sound employee relations.
• Provide guidance and advice on issues respecting employee relations , collective agreements (negotiation, information, interpretation, application), performance matters, workplace investigations, grievances, organizational change, employment and labour relations legislation and regulations, etc.
• Oversee, manage, lead, coach, guide and mentor ParaMed LR/ER team members.
• Responsible for creating, implementing and continually managing LR/ER KPI’s, particularly related to grievance management.
• Ensure appropriate development of HR/LR and training of operations managers through the planning, development and implementation of training seminars and information sessions.
• All other duties and tasks as assigned.

What we are looking for:

• Minimum 5+ years of Labour Relations experience in a unionized environment, with an emphasis on significant multi-site collective agreement locations.
• Demonstrated knowledge/experience of leading collective agreement negotiations.
• Demonstrated ability to provide advice and counsel to medium and large sized organizations while using the ability to influence decision making.
• Broad knowledge of employment legislation: Labour Relations Act, Occupational Health & Safety Act, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, Human Rights Code, Employment Standards Act, etc.
• University Degree or completion of a College Diploma Program in Human Resources or related discipline. Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation is an asset .
• Strong business acumen and labour analytics experience required including use of artificial intelligence.
• Some intermittent provincial and occasional interprovincial travel will be required.

At Extendicare, we believe that working as a team creates an environment that allows us to reach our potential. We value each employee, encourage equal opportunity for growth and recognize achievement. As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

• Continuous mentorship, support for life-long learning and growth opportunities
• Opportunities for advancement and career growth within the organization
• A rewarding and meaningful work experience where you can enrich your life and the lives of others through your work.
• Employee Family Assistance Program.
• Robust benefits package.

Extendicare is a leading provider of care and services for seniors across Canada, operating under the Extendicare, ParaMed, Extendicare Assist, and SGP Purchasing Network brands. We are committed to delivering quality care to meet the needs of a growing seniors’ population, inspired by our mission to provide people with the care they need, wherever they call home. We operate a broad network of long-term care homes (both owned and under management contracts), deliver over 24 million hours of home health care services annually, and provide group purchasing services to third parties representing approximately 157,000 beds across Canada. Extendicare proudly employs more than 30,000 qualified, highly trained and dedicated team members who are passionate about providing high-quality care and services to help people live better.

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