Manager, Labour Relations

The Manager of Labour Relations is a key position within the Human Resource Leadership Group (HRLG). This position manages the day to day activities of the Labour Relations Officers assigned within the division and shares the responsibility of managing the LR team under the direction of the Senior Manager, Labour Relations & Negotiation Services. This position ensures that city departments have access to quality labour relations services by supporting the department Labour Relations Officers, the department HR teams, and working directly with Union representatives to deal with escalating and or complex labour matters. The Manager of Labour Relations will be a lead negotiator representing the City at collective bargaining tables. This position will give advice to the City’s legal counsel at assigned arbitration hearings, will assist in recommending settlements on behalf of the City, and provide expert level contract interpretation and labour relations advice for the eight (8) collective agreements in place at the City of Winnipeg.

As the Manager, Labour Relations, you will:

• Provide labour relations leadership to the City’s departmental Human Resource Staff, ensuring consistency in application of policies, procedures and collective agreement language.
• Lead negotiations for the City’s collective bargaining process, as well as, lead the grievance and arbitration process.
• Manage the team of Labour Relations Officers through coaching and development, annual performance reviews and overall performance management of the team.

Your education and qualifications include:

• Degree related to HR in Commerce, Labour Studies, Social Science, Industrial Relations and/or a combination of two post-secondary directly related certificates.
• CPHR, Industrial or Labour Relations, or other related designation is an asset.
• Five (5) years’ experience managing a Labour Relations team.
• Five (5) years’ experience as Lead Negotiator in full cycle collective bargaining.
• Experience mentoring and developing team members, creating learning plans, managing performance and developing competency for succession planning activities.
• Experience providing pragmatic defendable business advice on complex human resource/labour relations issues using best practice information including reports and case law interpretation.
• Experience in mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution including the use of political acumen with senior/executive level leadership, preferably with elected officials.
• Ability to partner with Technology teams to determine suitable business systems solutions to improve efficiency as needed to interact with other HR systems.
• Ability to deliver outcomes on LR program management and sustainable bargaining with strong financial acumen, in a publicly funded organization is an asset.
• Ability to partner with internal customers in departments, Legal Services, HR Services to work through city issues, department priorities, and program priorities.
• Ability to work with external customers such as Union representatives, WCB, third party providers, Community groups, law enforcement, public service agencies, other levels of government, and the public.
• Organizational skills with the ability to function effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced, high volume, complex work environment with shifting priorities.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the proven ability to work as part of a team, and the ability to build and maintain strong, trusting relationships with staff, Unions, business partners and stakeholders.
• Verbal communication skills with the ability to lead high conflict discussions, deliver difficult messages and move discussions forward in often contentious situations.
• Written communication skills with the ability to create and facilitate formal and informal presentations to all levels of staff.
• Knowledge of the professional groups connected to the LR community at the municipal, provincial and/or national level.

• IMPORTANT: Applicants who have been educated outside of Canada must have education which is comparable to the minimum qualification in Canada. Applicants submitting foreign credentials require an official academic assessment report issued by a recognized Canadian assessment service.

Conditions of employment:

• The successful applicant must maintain legal eligibility to work in Canada. If the successful applicant possesses a work permit, it is their responsibility to ensure the permit remains valid.
• Police Information Check satisfactory to the City of Winnipeg will be required from the applicant or successful candidate, at their expense.
• Must be able to travel throughout the City to attend off site meetings while on City business, as required.