Labour Relations

Amid demographic shifts and digital transitions in the decade ahead, labour relations will be defined by workforce shortages, flexible work arrangements, and an AI and automation boom.

In this dynamic environment, our Labour Relations team advises private, public and parapublic employers on collective labour relations. Serving businesses and organizations of all sizes, our team has built a sterling reputation for its in-depth knowledge of legislative and regulatory requirements and case law for federally and provincially regulated entities. In Québec, in particular, we take a uniquely local approach relative to practices in the rest of North America, owing to the distinctive set of labour laws in force and the civil law tradition governing labour relations.

Our lawyers, many with long track records, provide employers with the approaches and methods to effectively manage and timely resolve all potential labour relations issues, from crisis resolution and pressure tactics to maintaining harmonious and cooperative labour relations. If necessary, we represent employers before arbitration tribunals, the Administrative Labour Tribunal and the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

Our team’s areas of strength include:

• Providing strategic advice to employers and representing them before specialized tribunals with respect to union certifications and successor rights, tripartite relationships, etc.
• Negotiating collective agreements
• Developing contingency plans and managing collective labour disputes, strikes, lockouts and pressure tactics, including negotiating and ensuring essential services are maintained, making all necessary representations in court to obtain orders restricting picketing and defending employers in connection with unfair practice complaints and complaints for the use of strikebreakers
• Advising employers on disciplinary measures or implementing their decisions within the context of a collective agreement and representing them in support of such decisions in grievance arbitration
• Redressing difficult labour relations
• Advising employers on pension plans and group insurance