Overview
Designed for school board trustees, directors of education, superintendents, and human resources and labour relations professionals, this year’s Education Labour Relations and Human Resources Symposium will feature a pragmatic program focusing on solutions to the most pressing labour and employment issues facing school boards today.
Among the sessions our team is hosting is “Cost Effective Models of Arbitration,” where Grant Nuttall and Lauren Viegas, joined by Chris Boulay and Jessica Breen of the Upper Canada District School Board, will discuss alternatives to traditional arbitration models that help manage costs while maintaining fair and effective outcomes.
In “Freedom of Expression in Public Education,” Nadine Zacks alongside Lisa Coppins from the Durham District School Board, will examine how school boards can address employee expression—both on and off duty—while balancing operational needs with constitutionally protected rights.
Artimes Ghahremani and Justin Jalea will also be presenting “Spot It, Assess It, Fix It: Making Workplace Risk Management Real,” joined by Iain McMeekin of the Simcoe County District School Board. This session focuses on integrating effective risk assessment into everyday workplace practices.
Another session, “De‑frustrating Frustration of Contract,” features Jacqueline Luksha, Madeline Lusk and Jennifer McDonald of the Upper Canada District School Board, who will unpack the legal challenges of long‑term absenteeism and provide guidance on balancing accommodation obligations with operational realities.
Lesley Campbell and Zachary Demers will participate in “The Charter: Its Impact on Privacy and School Board Employment Policies,” joined by Marla Fowler from the York Region District School Board to examine how school boards can effectively balance privacy rights and day‑to‑day employment decision‑making through a legally sound, Charter‑aware lens.
Our team will also facilitate an interactive workshop, “Working Together to Address Anti‑Black Racism – A Workshop to Unpack the OHRC Dreams Delayed Report Within the Labour Relations Legal Context.” Njeri Damali Sojourner‑Campbell and Sean Reginio, together with Masuma Khangura from the Peel District School Board, will lead participants through candid discussions on implementing the Report’s Action Plan while managing labour relations and human rights risk.
In “Creed and the Accommodation of Religious Practices: Navigating the Modern Workplace,” Andrew Zabrovsky and Madeline Lusk will focus on how school boards can respond confidently and lawfully to religious accommodation requests in an increasingly diverse workforce.