Collective Bargaining

The initial collective agreement is the most important one since it forms the base for all subsequent negotiations. Therefore, it makes sense to have a legal professional review the integrity of the agreement before it is accepted. Even for employers in more mature bargaining relationships, the Labour, Employment and Human Rights lawyers act as in-house labour relations experts who can deliver strategic advice to help employers achieve the best possible collective agreement by:

Critiquing the union's demands;
Drafting a complete employer proposal;
Acting as spokesperson at the bargaining table;
Developing a comprehensive strategy to ensure the negotiated collective agreement meets business needs;
Managing communications with employees and the media;
Providing experience representation at mediation/conciliation;
Providing integrated legal advice with respect to all aspects of the negotiations; and,
Providing professional legal representation at any labour board hearings.

In preparation for bargaining and administering collective agreements, our members provide training and team building workshops for clients to ensure the best collective bargaining agreement is always realized.