The university has partnered with the Queen's Industrial Relations Centre (IRC) to offer a training program for supervisors aimed at helping them understand the challenges of managing in a unionized environment.

“We will be working in a very different environment than we were two years ago once first contracts are negotiated with employee groups this year,” says Caroline Davis, Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration). “We hope the training program will make the transition smoother for employees covered under new labour agreements and their supervisors.”

First contracts being negotiated this year include General Staff, United Steel Workers; Academic Assistants. Ontario Public Service Employees Union; Allied Health Professionals and Post Doctoral Fellows, Public Service Alliance of Canada. Ten employee groups will then be covered by collective agreements where there were only four previously.

The two-day workshop, offered by the IRC and launching in August, will inform participants about management and union best practices on challenging issues like discipline, managing performance, and job competitions.

Al Orth, Associate Vice-Principal (Human Resources); Lisa Newton Director and Counsel, Employee and Labour Relations; and the Employee/Labour Relations team will be active participants and/or presenters in the workshop sessions.

Facilitators include Gary Furlong, a principal with Agree Dispute Resolution, and Allan Loyst, member of the Canadian Auto Workers for 39 years.

IRC is renowned across the country for using a hands-on approach in its premium professional development programs, giving participants practical skills they can use on the job.

Supervisors are being contacted directly about this program as training rolls out over the coming months.

More information about the Managing in a Unionized Environment training.