Employers in the construction industry contend with unique challenges around job site safety, workforce turnover and skilled employee shortages, while meeting quality, productivity and employments standards.
Construction companies are also experiencing changes in composition and demographics of their workforce, which can give rise to accommodation and harassment issues and the need for additional supervisory training. In addition to its employment patterns, the industry is also unique from a labour standpoint: it has own set of rules and practices with respect to certification, grievances and collective bargaining.
Our lawyers have experience in both the unionized and non-unionized sectors of the construction industry and understand the challenges construction employers face.
Clients
We act for some of the largest contractors and contractor associations, both provincially and nationally. Our clients also include employers in one or more of the following sectors:
- industrial, commercial and institutional
- residential
- electrical power systems
- roads
- sewers and water mains
- heavy engineering
Services
We play an active role in helping our clients manage a range of human resources, labour and employment issues. We routinely provide advice and representation related to:
- collective bargaining, collective agreement interpretation and the negotiation of project agreements
- labour board matters including grievances, certification applications and unfair labour practice allegations, successor and related employer applications, and jurisdictional disputes between competing unions
- health and safety policies and procedures
- investigations and inquests into workplace injuries and fatalities
- human rights issues including human rights complaints, accommodation of injured workers, and drug and alcohol testing
- employer accreditations on behalf of employer associations
- supervisory training best practices for employers and employer associations