Negotiator (Labour Relations)

Edmonton, Alberta

The Organization

The Good Samaritan Society (GSS) and Good Samaritan Canada (GSC) are leading faith-based, not-for-profit, registered charities in Western Canada that provide quality accommodations, health, and community care services and programs to aging individuals in need. With over 70 years of experience providing specialized health and community care services in innovative and caring environments, our operational effectiveness and overarching culture of service and care make us the provider of choice for individuals and their families seeking a supportive place to call home.

Presently, we have over 4,100 employees and more than 1,900 volunteers who, in the spirit of compassion, serve over 5,000 residents and clients. As one of the largest not-for-profit care providers in Alberta (21 locations) and British Columbia (8 locations), we provide safe, comfortable communities inspiring involvement, where people can experience a sense of caring, belonging and purpose. In addition to continuing care, we are a partner in the Comprehensive Home Option of Integrated Care for the Elderly (CHOICE©) program, provide Programs for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (28 homes), a Seniors Clinic, and TeleCare Services.

The Position

Reporting to the Director, Human Resources, the Negotiator serves as the organization’s lead spokesperson at assigned collective bargaining. The Negotiator prepares for and leads collective bargaining, implements ratified settlements, develops interpretive resources for collective agreements, policies, and employment statute, facilitates the efficient and effective resolution of disputes at the arbitration level, and participates in the delivery of learning and development programs to leaders across the organization. The Negotiator has a primary focus on labour and employee relations. The Negotiator will assist Human Resource Business Partners and the organization’s human resources in the following areas:

• Labour-management relations;
• Dispute resolution;
• Best practices in labour relations;
  • Workforce planning;
  • Job evaluation and compensation; and,
  • Employee communications.

Key Accountabilities

• Assists the Director, Human Resources in researching and preparing recommendations for bargaining mandates.
• Serves as the lead spokesperson for assigned collective bargaining including coordinating bargaining activities, researching and preparing ingoing proposals and subsequent counter-proposals, maintaining bargaining documentation, concluding a memorandum of settlement within the approved mandate, obtaining ratification, and implementing the ratified memorandum of settlement.
• Leads research, preparation, and negotiations for essential service agreement negotiations and the application and enforcement of an essential services agreement.
• Assists with work interruption planning and the application of the plan.

Interpretive Resources:

• Researches complex labour and employment matters that require interpretation including collective agreements, organizational policies, and statute.
• Prepares interpretive resources including guiding documents, tools and templates, and implementation instructions including education as required.
• Researches and prepares advisements on the application of and changes to labour and employment-related statutes.

Dispute Resolution and other Labour and Employee Relations Proceedings:

• Receives grievances advanced to arbitration and reviews the case to identify potential resolution and/or courses of action, and works with internal stakeholders and union representatives in an attempt to resolve disputes advanced to the arbitration level.
• Researches and prepares for labour and employee relations-related hearings and proceedings including arbitrations, mediations, Labour Relations Board, human rights tribunals, and employment standards tribunals, and works with legal counsel to prepare for labour and employee relations proceedings.

Learning and Development:

• Leads the delivery of training and development for leaders to build their capacity in human resources practices and programs with a focus on labour and employee relations.
• As assigned, mentors and coaches leaders on human resources practices with a focus on labour and employee relations.

HR General:

• Keeps current on collective bargaining, labour and employment-related legislation, arbitration decisions, and labour and employee relations best practices.
• Participates in the strategic and operational planning for Human Resources.
• Participates in discussions for the continuous improvement of Human Resources and serves as a change agent to foster and promote continuous improvement of Human Resources.
• As assigned, participates in and/or leads committees, working groups, and project teams in the development of human resources best practices and represents Human Resources at departmental and organization meetings, forums and presentations as well as participates in external committees, forums, etc. human resources.

Education and Experience

Educational and other Qualifications:

• Post-secondary degree in human resources or labour relations, or a combination of other relevant education and experience in labour and employee relations.
• A designation in Human Resources or a related field is preferred.

Work Experience:

• Minimum five years’ experience in a unionized work environment including leading collective bargaining, administration of collective agreements, fostering positive labour-management relations, advising managers and supervisors on labour relations best practices, and participating in dispute resolution including grievances and arbitrations.
• Recent experience in advising leaders on statutory and case law matters including human rights, employment standards, labour relations, and other employment-related statute.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to work independently with effective time management to successfully attend to multiple deliverables while prioritizing work according to risks and goals.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in labour and employment matters including collective agreements, statute, and case law.
• Negotiation skills including research, preparation, leading, concluding and implementing outcomes of collective bargaining;
• Demonstrated ability to deal with a range of personalities in a diplomatic and professional manner;
• Demonstrated ability to research and gather relevant information on complex matters, and then perform detailed assessments and analysis to draw rationale conclusions and to form reasonable recommendations;
• Demonstrated understanding and application of change management principles, conflict resolution, facilitation skills and project management skills.
• Trustworthy, respectful, accountable, dependable, flexible, results-oriented, strives for accuracy, and maintains confidentiality.
• Demonstrated ability in using various software including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook as well as human resources information systems.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please forward your resume and cover letter in confidence to nzimmer@gss.org and quote competition number CO.22.014. This employment opportunity will remain open until a suitable candidate is hired.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. GSS and GSC are committed to creating a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, as an equal opportunity employer we encourage applications from all qualified individuals.