Director, Labour Relations

• Develop and implement a long-term labour relations strategy aligned with business objectives and regulatory obligations.

• Serve as the lead negotiator in collective bargaining with various bargaining units (e.g., pilots, flight attendants, customer service, and ground crew).

• Provide expert advice to executives and managers on labour relations issues, including contract interpretation, discipline, and operational decisions.

• Build and maintain constructive relationships with union representatives across multiple bargaining units.

• Act as the organization’s primary point of contact for union leadership during both routine engagement and during periods of conflict.

• Lead regular labour-management meetings and joint consultation committees to proactively address workplace issues.

• Oversee the end-to-end grievance process, ensuring timely investigation, documentation, and resolution.

• Represent the company at arbitration hearings or coordinate with external legal counsel as necessary.

• Analyze trends and root causes of grievances to recommend policy or procedural improvements.

• Develop bargaining mandates in collaboration with finance, operations, and legal.

• Lead the preparation of proposals and counterproposals, manage negotiations, and oversee ratification processes.

• Ensure accurate implementation of collective agreements and updates to People and Culture systems, payroll, and operations.

• Ensure full compliance with the Canada Labour Code, Canadian Aviation Regulations, Occupational Health and Safety legislation, and other applicable federal labour standards.

• Monitor changes in labour law and industry-specific regulations to mitigate risks and update policies accordingly.

• Actively participate in Porter’s Security and Safety Management System (SMS), including reporting hazards and incidents encountered in daily operations; understand, comply and promote the Company Safety Policy.

• Provide regular reports to senior leadership on key labour metrics, risks, opportunities, and trends.

• Use workforce and labour data to inform strategic decision-making and negotiations.

• Lead labour relations audits and risk assessments.

• Provide training and coaching to People and Culture Advisors and operational leaders on unionized workforce management.

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Relations, Human Resources, Law, or a related field is required.

• A Master’s degree or LLB/JD is an asset.

• CPHR or CHRL designation is an asset.

• Minimum 10 years of progressive labour relations experience in a unionized environment, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.

• Experience in the aviation or transportation industry is strongly preferred.

• Proven experience in leading complex collective bargaining negotiations and managing multiple union relationships.

• Deep knowledge of Canadian federal labour law and collective agreement frameworks.

• Excellent negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills.

• Strong business acumen and understanding of operational demands in aviation.

• Ability to work well under pressure and manage high-stakes situations with diplomacy.

• Superior interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

• Proficiency in labour relations data systems, Google Suite and Microsoft Office.

• Hybrid work environment with travel to airport and union locations as needed.

• On-call availability during high-impact labour disruptions or operational incidents.

Porter Airlines