Vault/CLERC21 - Construction Labour & Employment Relations Conference

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Vertra Forums, 20 Bay Street, Suite 1100,
Toronto, ON M5J 2N8, Canada

Vertra Forums, 20 Bay Street, Suite 1100, Toronto, ON M5J 2N8, Canada

Alan M. Minsky, Q.C.

Partner
Koskie Minsky LLP

Alan M. Minsky, Q.C. has practised in all aspects of labour relations and employment law before the various labour relations and employment tribunals and in the courts, including before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and the Supreme Court of Canada, and in arbitration proceedings on behalf of private and public sector trade union and professional association clients.
Alan’s practice over the years has focussed on construction labour relations. He has frequently acted on behalf of building trade unions and their councils of trade unions, including the Central Ontario Building Trades and the Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council, in labour-related proceedings before the Boards and Courts. Alan has been consulted from time to time by the Ontario Minister of Labour of the day on amendments to the Labour Relations Act.
Alan has been repeatedly recognized by Lexpert, Best Lawyers ® and Chambers Canada as a leading practitioner in the areas of Labour Relations and Employment Law.
Education
LL.B., 1969, University of Toronto
B.A., 1966, University of Toronto
Memberships/Affiliations
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Fellow, College of Labour and Employment Lawyers
kmlaw.ca

Bernard fishbein

Chair
Ontario Labour Relations Board

Bernard Fishbein is the current Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board. He is a lawyer and was the former Managing Partner of Koskie Minsky LLP where he practised trade union labour law since the firm’s inception in 1981. Prior to this, he was an Associate in the firm of Robins & Partners. Mr. Fishbein has an LLB from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law and an LLM from Harvard Law School. He has taught employment law at the University of Toronto and arbitration law at its Faculty of Law as well as speaking at and writing for countless continuing legal educators and professional conferences and seminars. He is a Co-Chair of the University of Toronto Academic Discipline Tribunal. He is a former member of the Ontario Grievance Settlement Board and former Chair of the Labour Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association of Ontario. Mr. Fishbein is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Canadian Bar Association. He has held senior volunteer positions in many community organizations (including President of the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre and Adath Israel Synagogue).

Katherine Jacobs

Director of Research
Ontario Construction Secretariat

As the Director of Research, Katherine Jacobs works to enhance the competitive position of Ontario’s unionized construction industry through research, collaboration and knowledge-sharing. An objective advocate for unionized construction, Katherine has led research on: apprenticeship completions, investment in training, the union safety effect, collective bargaining trends, the underground economy, construction market trends, project labour agreements, competitive pressures and labour market conditions.
Katherine has a Masters of Environmental Studies from York University and an honours degree in Economics from Queen’s University.

Linsday Amundsen

Director of Workforce Development
Canada’s Building Trades Unions

Lindsay Amundsen has been with Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) since 2010. Her primary responsibilities as Director of Workforce Development with CBTU include the development and operations of ‘Build Together’, a national workforce development program focused on the recruitment and retention of workers from underrepresented portions of the population: Women, Indigenous Peoples, the Next Generation & New Canadians. Lindsay manages federally funded projects for CBTU; one being on the retention of women in trades and a project titled “Building it Green” with a focus on climate literacy in the skilled construction trades.

Margaret Taylor

Executive Director
Ontario Association of Demolition Contractors

Margaret Taylor is a senior level executive with extensive hands-on experience in business leadership, team management and negotiations. Margaret has been a main player in the Construction industry for over 20 years.
Prior to starting with the Ontario Association of Demolition Contractors (“OADC”), Margaret ran the financial division for one of the largest environmental abatement companies in Ontario, for over 16 years. For the past several years, Margaret has been the Executive Director for the OADC. Margaret and her team provide Board leadership and governance, team leadership for bargaining, grievance and jurisdictional support for Members, administrative services, event, and meeting coordination.
Margaret also sits on the following Boards and Committees:
Council of Ontario Construction Associations (“COCA”) – Board of Director
COCA – COO Committee Member
COCA – Executive Committee Member
COCA – Member of the WSIB/OH&S Committee
Recipient of the 2017 COCA President’s Award
Ontario Construction Secretariat (“OCS”) – Designate Employer Bargaining Agent (“EBA”)
Construction Employers Coordinating Council of Ontario (“CECCO”) – Designate EBA
IHSA Construction Legislative Review – Committee Member
IHSA Labour Management Demolition Committee – Management Representative
Ontario Labour Relations Board (“OLRB”) – Part Time Side Chair, Employer Representative

Mark J. Lewis

General Counsel
Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario

Mark J. Lewis is General Counsel for the Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Following his earlier education in both Canada and the United Kingdom, he received his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Toronto and was called to the Bar (in Ontario) in 1991. In Mr. Lewis’ previous employment, he was an associate lawyer with Sack Goldblatt Mitchell, General Counsel for LIUNA Local 183 and a Vice Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Mr. Lewis has been involved in construction industry labour relations throughout his career. In addition, Mr. Lewis co-wrote Chapter 10-The Construction Industry for the Second Edition of Sack and Mitchell’s Ontario Labour Relations Board - Law and Practice and has taught various labour relations related courses as an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. In his current position, representing workers within a number of trades (covered by the Carpenters’ Union), Mr. Lewis is extensively involved in formulating positions for the Carpenters concerning labour relations, legal and political issues.

Graeme Aitken

Executive Director
Electrical Contractors Association
of Ontario

Graeme Aitken began his career as a construction and maintenance electrician, following his father’s footsteps at IBEW Local 105, in Hamilton. It didn’t take him long to get involved in the labour relations aspects of the electrical industry, on the Joint Apprenticeship Council as an apprentice; then recording secretary of the Local. With his passion for labour relations growing as an Organizer for IBEW Locals 105, 303 and 804, Graeme went on to get his LLB from Osgoode Hall at York University and practiced with Cynthia D. Watson & Associates for a few years. Graeme then joined the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers and worked internationally with them for 15 years; appearing before arbitrators and labour boards across Canada as well as providing educational seminars and labour advice to representatives, business agents and members. Returning to Canada, he was with EPTCON (a Cambridge based high-voltage EPC contractor) overseeing labour relations and contracts for 5 years before heading up the ECAO as the new Executive Director. Graeme has served on various EPSCA committees, the Board of Directors and as President of the ECACO, member of the ECAO Line Committee and Provincial Line Committee, on the ECAO Board of Directors, as an alternate to the ETBA, and continues to chair the Canadian Spinal Research Organization.
With over thirty years of experience in the unionized construction industry across Canada, and a particular focus in the Province of Ontario, Graeme provides stewardship and professionalism as Executive Director. Graeme has a unique blend of legal education (LL B and LL M), apprenticeship training (309A journeyperson), and professional development (various programs in ADR, negotiations, and administration). Currently, in conjunction with his role at ECAO, Graeme is on the Board of Directors for the National Electrical Trade Council (NETCO), and the Joint Electrical Promotion Plan (JEPP).

Patrick J. Dillon

Business Manager and Secretary Treasurer
Provincial Building and Construction
Trades Council of Ontario

Patrick J. Dillon is the Business Manager and Secretary Treasurer of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. He is a passionate advocate for health and safety in the workplace, as evidenced by his support for legislation that strengthens worker safety, including the Right to Refuse Unsafe Work. He began his career in the construction industry as an apprentice electrician in 1961 and became a journeyperson in 1966. Following eighteen years of experience in the construction industry, he was elected Business Manager of Local 105 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. In 1991 he was elected Executive Chair of the IBEW Construction Council of Ontario. Mr. Dillon has served on numerous provincial, federal and industry-related boards. He is a past President and Member of the Board of Directors of the Construction Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO), now part ofthe Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA). He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Workers Health and Safety Centre. For sixteen years, Patrick served on the Board of Directors of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) where a part of the Board’s mandate was Prevention and he served as Chair of the Board’s Health/Safety and Prevention Committee until it was moved to the Ministry of Labour.

Erin r. Kuzz

Partner
Sherrard Kuzz LLP

Erin R. Kuzz is one of the founding members of Sherrard Kuzz in Toronto, Canada where she represents employers in all areas of employment and labour law. Erin has been recognized by Lexpert® (specifically for construction labour relations), Chambers Global®, Who’s Who Legal® and Best Lawyers® as one of Canada’s leading employment and labour lawyers. Having practised labour and employment law for more than 20 years, she has earned a reputation for practical, results-oriented advice.

Aminah Hanif

Associate
Cavalluzzo LLP

Aminah Hanif joined Cavalluzzo in 2014 after articling with the firm. She advocates on behalf of trade union clients in a broad range of sectors, with a focus on construction. She represents construction unions in various matters, including grievances, certification applications, and related proceedings including judicial reviews and appeals. She has represented clients before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Superior Court of Justice and various tribunals in other provinces and federal jurisdiction. She also provides advice on policy issues and legislative reform.

Aaron Sinclair

Registered Psychotherapist,
Executive Director
De Novo Treatment Centre

Aaron Sinclair is the Executive Director of De Novo Treatment Centre, located in Huntsville, Ontario. Aaron has been working in the addiction and mental health field for over 14 years. Aaron is a Registered Psychotherapist through the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and holds the designations, International Certified Alcohol and Drug Counsellor, and Canadian Clinical Supervisor with the Canadian Addiction Counsellor Certification Federation.

Laurie Kent

Partner
Koskie Minsky LLP

Laurie Kent is a partner in the Koskie Minsky Labour & Employment Group. With a practice focus on labour law, she regularly presents complex labour matters before administrative tribunals and the court. Laurie works exclusively in the area of labour relations and represents industrial, public sector, private sector and construction trade unions before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Grievance Settlement Board, and at private arbitrations. Laurie has extensive experience in the areas of industrial relations, acquiring and maintaining bargaining rights, unfair labour practices, discipline and discharge grievances, human rights issues, employment standards, occupational health and safety, workplace safety and insurance, and collective bargaining.
Laurie is the union side co-chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board Advisory Committee. In 2015, Laurie accepted an appointment as an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School where she teaches the upper year JD Collective Bargaining Law Course.
Education
LL.B., 2004, Osgoode Hall Law School

Memberships/Affiliations
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Member, Ontario Bar Association
kmlaw.ca

Jeffrey D. A. Murray

Partner
Stringer LLP

Jeff acts exclusively for employers, particularly in the manufacturing, municipal, health, and construction sectors. His extensive experience includes:
• Collective bargaining
• Labour arbitration, human rights, and labour board litigation
• Guidance on how to conduct effective campaigns to remain union-free
• Civil litigation, appeals, and judicial review
• Advising in acquisitions, downsizing, and divestitures
Jeff’s goal is to assist clients in achieving their immediate and long-term objectives in an efficient and cost-effective manner through concise advocacy and rigorous problem solving. He believes that practicing management law is an excellent way to do good in the world. He frequently works with clients based in the United States and has been a contributing editor to the Federated Press journal Management Rights. Jeff speaks regularly on Managing in a Unionized Workplace, Human Rights and Accommodation, Construction Labour Relations, and Workplace Privacy. He is also designated by the Law Society of Ontario as a Certified Specialist in Labour Law.
Jeff is a past Director of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers.
Education
Queen’s University, LL.B., 1995
University of Toronto, B.A. (with distinction), 1992

Melissa Atkins-mahaney

Labour Relations Manager & Counsel
International Union of Operating Engineers
Local 793

Melissa Atkins-Mahaney is Labour Relations Manager/ Counsel for the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 793 (“Local 793”). As Labour Relations Manager/Counsel, Melissa has been intricately involved in all of the legal and strategic decision-making of Local 793 across Ontario and most recently in Local 793’s expansion into the mining sector in Nunavut. Over the past 12 years at Local 793, Melissa’s work has been focused almost exclusively on union-side construction labour relations. Prior to joining Local 793, Melissa worked in private practice, practising exclusively in union-side labour law. She received her BA and LLB from the University of Western Ontario.

Carl W. Peterson

Partner
Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP

Carl W. Peterson is a partner of the firm and since his call to the bar in 1984, he has worked in all areas of labour law with special expertise in the construction industry and health and safety litigation. In addition to defending employers against health and safety charges, he has been quite active in developing policies and seminars for employers to prevent accidents and avoid litigation.
Carl has a great deal of experience in assisting non-union and union employers develop positive employee relations and employee empowerment programs and has drafted a number of policies and conducted several seminars in this new and interesting area.
Carl has gained considerable experience in resolving the legal problems associated with the use of independent contractors and outsourcing of various business functions.
Carl has also participated in a number of legal education seminars in the field of construction, health and safety, employment standards and outsourcing and has written a number of articles on these and various other labour law subjects.

Donald K. Eady

Partner
Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP

Don Eady practices union-side labour law, employment law, administrative law and government relations. He has considerable experience in all aspects of labour relations, occupational health and safety and workers' compensation. Mr. Eady has acted as counsel to trade unions with particular emphasis on internal union disputes, picketing and strike-related legal matters, union certifications, successor rights and grievance arbitration. Mr. Eady has appeared before numerous administrative tribunals and trial and appellate courts in the Province of Ontario.
In 1993 Mr. Eady was Special Assistant to the Ontario Ministry of Labour. He was involved in the development of the Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act, as well as amendments to the Labour Relations Act, the Workers' Compensation Act and regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Along with Ian Roland and Robert Centa, Mr. Eady was counsel to the Ontario Public Service Employees Union with respect to the Walkerton inquiry.
Mr. Eady has been invited to speak at various conferences on issues ranging from picketing injunctions, internal union matters, human rights in the arbitration process, innocent absenteeism, and the right to refuse unsafe work.
Mr. Eady is a member of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers.

DAVID J. BANNON

Partner
Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP

David J. Bannon is a labour and employment partner in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office and Chair of the Firm’s Construction Labour Relations Practice Group. David is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Labour and Employment Law, regularly appearing before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and private arbitrators, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, Provincial Offenses Court defending against Occupational Health and Safety Act charges, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal and the Ontario Court of Justice. David provides ongoing strategic advice to employers in the Construction Industry. David is extensively involved in collective bargaining in the industry, including ICI negotiations for a number of collective agreements. He frequently speaks on a wide range of labour and health and safety matters before private associations and industry audiences.

Kathryn Carpentier

Partner
CaleyWray

Kathryn Carpentier is an experienced litigator with a particular expertise relating to union organizing campaigns and the acquisition of representational rights. She regularly represents clients, the majority of which are in the construction sector, before labour arbitrators and administrative tribunals.
Kathryn is also a skilled advocate for union members in labour arbitration. Her practice also encompasses various areas of labour and employment law, including human rights and disciplinary matters.
After articling at a union-side labour firm in Toronto, Kathryn joined CaleyWray in 2012. Prior to practicing labour law, she worked at the HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario in Toronto in the areas of immigration and refugee law, health law, income security and housing and tenant law.
Education
Call to Bar: 2012 (Ontario)
JD, University of Ottawa, 2011
HBA, McMaster University, 2005

Alexis Mantello-Clement

Director of Labour Relations & Legal Counsel
EllisDon Corporation

Alexis Mantello-Clement is the Director of Labour Relations and Legal Counsel for EllisDon, a world-leading construction and building services company that completes in excess of $5 billion worth of contracts annually, in every market sector and across the globe. Alexis has spent the entirety of her legal career working in construction industry labour relations. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the General Contractors’ Association of Toronto. Alexis received her JD from University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law, and her B.A. (Honours) in Political Science from Laurentian University. Alexis is a rock and roll aficionado and plays drums in a classic rock cover band called Last Band on Earth.

graham Williamson

Senior Legal Counsel
Labourers’ International Union of North America, Local 183

Graham Williamson is Senior Legal Counsel for Labourers’ International Union of North America, Local 183, the largest construction local union in North America. In this role Graham provides general and strategic advice to the Union, and represents the Union and its members in collective bargaining, arbitration hearings, and proceedings before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and in the Courts.
Prior to joining Local 183 Graham was a partner in a Toronto law firm where he was the head of the labour department. Graham has extensive experience representing public and private sector unions in complex labour litigation. Graham is a Certified Specialist in Labour Law. He received his B.A. (Honours) in Philosophy and English from Huron College, at the University of Western Ontario and his LL.B. from the University of Toronto.

TOM MACKAY

Director, Health and Safety Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario

Tom Mackay has over 35 years of health and safety experience in industrial and construction workplaces, both union and non-union. He also has regulatory experience as an inspector and regional program coordinator with the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Over his career in both management and consultant roles, he developed a passionate, down to earth, and practical approach to health and safety.
His career started when he was elected to a local Joint Health and Safety Committee, which lit a flame of passion and advocacy for health and safety matters. He eventually represented members provincially at the Ontario Federation of Labour advocating for regulatory changes and participating in joint projects. He has worked on initiatives with the Institute for Work and Health (IWH), Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), The Worker Health and Safety Centre (WHSC), and the WSIB Research Advisory Council (RAC). Through these partnerships, he gained experience researching and developing solutions for important issues such as ergonomics, occupational disease, occupational exposure level changes, workplace injuries and workplace training.
In 2005, he accepted a position with the Ministry of Labour as a Health and Safety Inspector and then as acting Regional Program Coordinator, gaining a diverse experience across a wide scope of health and safety initiatives, conditions, regulatory and compliance issues. In 2010, he was elected to the provincial Ministry Employee Relations Committee (MERC) representing MLTSD employees in labour relations issues including occupational disease and working conditions. In 2010, the MERC participated and presented in the Expert Advisory Panel on occupational health and safety in Ontario chaired by Tony Dean.
In 2015, Tom accepted a position of Director of Health, Safety and Environment for a high voltage construction company involved with construction of transmission lines and substations as well as manufacturing, assembly plants, engineering, services and commissioning of high voltage equipment and apparatus. While in this position, he developed and implemented a health and safety program that met the requirements of the Certificate of Recognition.
In 2017, Tom established a consulting firm, Select Safety Solutions, to share his knowledge and valuable experience with companies across Ontario. In addition, he accepted a contract with the IHSA as an approved external COR™ auditor, reviewing safety programs to determine whether they met program requirements. In the audit role, he also offers solutions in the form of corrective actions and suggestions of opportunities for improvement.
In his current role of Director of Health and Safety for the ECAO, Tom chairs the ECAO/IBEW Labour Management Health and Safety Committee and represents the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario on the Construction Section 21 Committee. He also sits on the Council of Ontario Construction Association’s health, safety and WSIB committee, and the WSIB Chair’s Construction Industry Advisory Committee. Tom is involved with initiatives to share health and safety information and materials, promote safe work initiatives and training, and making suggestions for legislative changes to ensure ECAO members and workers are safe. In addition, he leads the development of timely safety bulletins and provides program information and guidance to ECAO members on behalf of ECAO as an approved provider of the WSIB Health and Safety Excellence Program.
Tom holds the designations of Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) and National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO).

Carmine Tiano

Director of Occupational Services
Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council of Ontario

Carmine Tiano is Director of Occupational Services at the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario, an umbrella organization representing 13 international construction unions with 122 locals in Ontario covering 150,000 construction workers. He is responsible for workplace insurance and health and safety. Carmine is also involved with various research bodies and presents at conferences and seminars on occupational health issues.
Carmine holds a MA from York University (Economics), a Diploma in Regulatory Law, and graduated from McMaster University’s Occupational Health program. He is a member of the faculty at the Pacific Coast University where he teaches the disability management and health and safety program.

Daniel Shields

Partner
Shields O’Donnell MacKillop LLP

Daniel Shields is a founding member of Shields O’Donnell MacKillop LLP, and the firm’s senior partner. Dan was called to the Ontario bar in 1983 and graduated with the Gold Medal from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. Dan has spent more than 30 years acting for and advising businesses in labour and employment matters. He has extensive experience in negotiating and administering collective agreements in a wide range of unionized workplaces. Dan has particular expertise in the specialized field of construction industry labour relations in the province of Ontario. He has also represented management in professional sports, as well as a number of First Nations employers.
An experienced litigator, Dan regularly appears before grievance arbitrators, the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Human Rights Tribunal, and Ontario’s Courts, including the Ontario Court of Appeal, on matters ranging from wrongful dismissal to strikes and picketing. Dan provides practical advice on the labour and employment implications of business transactions and acts for multinational clients in Canada. A leading authority in the field, Dan is engaged to speak at conferences on a national and international basis and is a past member of the Editorial Board of the Employment and Labour Law Reporter.
Before founding Shields O’Donnell MacKillop LLP, Dan was a partner in a national law firm and later, a prominent Toronto litigation boutique. Dan is an avid guitarist and lends his talents to the firm’s annual LIFE fundraiser in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation and World Vision. He is from Hamilton, Ontario.

Dean Ardron

Partner
Ursel Phillips Fellows Hopkinson LLP

Dean Ardron is a partner with Ursel Phillips Fellows Hopkinson LLP. Dean practices labour law on behalf of trade unions and associations. He regularly represents employees and unions in both industrial and construction matters before labour arbitrators, the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and other administrative tribunals.
Dean also provides strategic counsel and representation with collective bargaining, organizing, and lobbying efforts.
He joined the firm after articling with the firm's predecessor and the Canadian Autoworkers Union. Dean attended Osgoode Hall Law School, graduating in the top 10% of his class.
Dean is a member of the Ontario Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association, and the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers. He currently serves on the Executive of the Ontario Bar Association Labour and Employment Law Section and is a frequent speaker and chair at labour and employment law conferences.

Sean McFarling

General Counsel
LiUNA OPDC & LiUNA CECOF

Sean McFarling is a union-side labour lawyer retained as General Counsel to the Labourers’ International Union of North America, Ontario Provincial District Council (“OPDC”) and LiUNA’s Central and Eastern Canada Organizing Fund (“CECOF”). His practice focuses on providing strategic advice and overseeing the OPDC’s legal affairs across Ontario and CECOF’s legal matters across Central and Eastern Canada.
In addition to serving as General Counsel to the OPDC and CECOF, Sean offers educational and legal services to administrative tribunals. This area of his practice includes providing training to lay tribunal members on the principals of administrative law and understanding and applying rules of procedure. He also acts as Independent Legal Counsel during hearings and litigation counsel in appellate matters.

David Galvin

Labour Relations Manager
Crosslinx Transit Solutions – Constructors

David Galvin is the Labour Relations Manager for Crosslinx Transit Solutions – Constructors, the consortium building the Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto. David is responsible for all aspects of Labour Relations with a special focus on Community Benefits initiatives for Crosslinx Direct Hire trades employees, union interface/Community Benefits resourcing requirements, as well as managing union/Crosslinx disputes and resolutions. David is an experienced Labour Relations practitioner having worked across Canada in various labour relations roles, supporting employers through negotiations, dispute management, LR training and union management relationships.

Merissa Preston

Partnerships & Business Development
LiUNA Local 506 Training Centre

Merissa Preston is the Manager of Partnership and Business Development at the LiUNA Local 506 Training Centre. She has over 20 years of workforce development experience, focusing on connecting youth to apprenticeships in the construction sector. Merissa started her career with JobStart in 1999 as a summer student and held various positions from frontline staff to management. In 2010 Merissa became the Coordinator of the Hammer Heads Program that supports youth from under-resourced neighbourhoods in the City of Toronto. In her current role, Merissa develops partnerships with community, owners of construction and contractors, providing apprentices with careers in construction through LiUNA Local 506. Merissa is currently on the Board of Directors of the Toronto Community Benefits Network and the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club and is an alumnus of the 2017 Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference. In 2020 Merissa was appointed by the Hon. Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development to the Construction Advisory Panel.

Jack J. Slaughter

Vice-Chair
Ontario Labour Relations Board

Jack J. Slaughter is a Vice-Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Prior to joining the Board, he had extensive experience in the construction industry as General Counsel for the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 793 from May 1985 to March 1995 and General Counsel for the Central Ontario Regional Council of Carpenters, Drywall and Allied Workers from August 1995 to February 2002. In 1995, he was Legal Counsel to the Railway Commissions under Mr. Justice George Adams, a Mediation-Arbitration Commission established by Parliament to resolve 13 collective agreements amongst CN, CP and the various railway unions.
Mr. Slaughter is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, where he received the Ivan C. Rand Award in Constitutional Law, and the University of Toronto where he graduated with High Distinction with a Major in Economics.

Elizabeth Traynor

Partner
Siskinds LLP

Elizabeth Traynor is a partner in Siskinds' labour and employment group and has practiced exclusively management-side labour and employment law for her entire career.
Beth provides practical day-to-day advice and dynamic advocacy before Courts and administrative tribunals as she represents the interests of both unionized and non-unionized employers. Her clients rely on her advice for issues related to discharge and discipline, accommodation of disabilities, occupational health and safety, bullying, harassment and violence in the workplace, and all other issues arising with employees. Her busy practice takes her across Southern Ontario and the Near North.
In addition, Beth has been providing investigation services to clients and other organizations for over ten years. She also regularly conducts training sessions on a variety of subjects, including the conduct of investigations, respectful communication in the workplace, and the identification and avoidance of discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Beth is frequently asked to speak on labour and employment topics and has presented continuing education programs for the Law Society of Ontario, the Ontario Bar Association, the Human Resources Professionals Association, and numerous client events. She is also an active contributor to the L&E Group’s blog.
Education
University of Windsor
Memberships and Associations
• Law Society of Upper Canada, Member
• Canadian Bar Association, Member
• Ontario Bar Association, Member
• Middlesex Law Association, Member
• Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, Member

Rob Gibson

Partner
Gibson & Barnes LLP

Rob Gibson co-founded Gibson&Barnes LLP in 2005. Prior to founding the firm, Rob had extensive labour litigation experience as an associate and partner at another Toronto area labour law firm and as in-house counsel to a major Ontario construction trade union. Rob frequently appears before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and other tribunals to litigate on behalf of his clients. He routinely represents trade unions on applications for certification, grievance referrals, jurisdictional disputes and unfair labour practice complaints. Since the start of his legal career, Rob has been particularly involved with the construction industry and he represents construction unions on a wide range of issues at the OLRB and elsewhere. Rob has a reputation as a skilled and determined advocate who also provides practical strategic advice to his clients. He enjoys the opportunities for creative planning and litigation that are provided by the long-term relationships in the construction industry. Rob has been recognized for many years as a leading practitioner in Labour Relations – Construction by Lexpert® and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences.

Inna Koldorf

Partner
Miller Thomson LLP

Inna Koldorf is a partner with Miller Thomson LLP’s Labour and Employment Law group, where she focuses on Employment and Labour Law, Human Rights Law, and Workplace Investigations. Having advised and represented unions and employees earlier in her career, Inna brings a unique perspective to the counsel and representation that she now provides exclusively to employers. Inna has developed an expertise in construction labour relations, and often assists employers with communications during organizing campaigns, responding to certification applications, and addressing day-to-day human resources issues.
Inna has appeared before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, the Superior Court of Justice, and the Federal Court of Canada. She has been repeatedly quoted in various news publications, and regularly speaks at seminars on workplace law topics.

Tiffany
O'Hearn Davies

Senior Associate
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Tiffany O'Hearn Davies practises in all areas of employment and labour law, including wrongful dismissal, human rights, employment standards, labour and employee relations, grievance arbitration, and occupational health and safety matters. She has a particular focus on litigation and dispute resolution, and has appeared as counsel before the Ontario courts, the Federal Court of Appeal, and various administrative tribunals. Tiffany also provides legal and strategic advice to employers regarding workplace issues and labour relations.

Emma Phillips

Partner
Goldblatt Partners LLP

Emma Phillips is a partner at Goldblatt Partners where she practices in the areas of labour and human rights law. In addition to her litigation practice, Emma has extensive experience in assessing the systemic roots of workplace harassment and sexual misconduct. In 2014/15, Emma acted as legal counsel to former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Marie Deschamps in the External Review on Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces, and in 2015, Emma served as legal counsel to an independent review on sexual abuse by United Nations peacekeepers. In 2016/17, Emma acted as legal counsel to the Civilian Review Complaints Commission on its public interest investigation into harassment and sexual harassment in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Emma regularly acts as an independent workplace investigator and teaches and conducts harassment and discrimination-prevention training and implicit bias training, including for the Law Society of Ontario, the Nunavut Law Society, Osgoode Professional Development, and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law Global Professional Masters of Law.
Emma was called to the bar in 2006 after clerking at the Supreme Court of Canada. She received her law degree from the University of Toronto in 2005, where she also completed an MA in Criminology. She has a BA in Anthropology from Harvard University.

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