Provincial Representative - Winnipeg

CLAC is seeking a Provincial Representative for our Winnipeg Member Centre. This position will service bargaining units within a variety of sectors, including education, manufacturing, and construction.

Job Summary:

Provincial Representatives act as advocates for employees in CLAC unionized workplaces, and are responsible for grievance handling, collective bargaining, equipping stewards, and general support for our members.

Key Responsibilities:

Core functions of the Provincial Representative include advocacy for CLAC members, labour relations representation and increasing the impact of CLAC’s democratic perspective on labour relations. Bargaining unit files are also the responsibility of Provincial Representatives. Bargaining key duties and abilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Worker advocacy in multiple sector workplaces where CLAC holds bargaining rights. This consists of enforcing employment rights and bargaining collectively.
• Represent membership concerns at labour-management meetings by addressing workplace concerns. Working to resolve issues, with a view to reduce conflict, as well as promote a partnership model of responsibility for and participation in the enterprise.
• Advocating for members with complaints via the collective dispute resolution processes and via government agencies, including responsibility over grievance and arbitration processes.
• Responsibility for all facets of collective agreement negotiations and arrangements for them. This includes interfacing with the workforce at union membership meetings to collect contract proposals, formulating a proposal, appointing a bargaining committee, conducting negotiations, presenting a contract for ratification, and preparing all attendant paperwork and documents including those required for Labour Relations Board (LRB) purposes.
• Training workplace leaders in labour relations practices and in union policies.
• Effectively work with the legal framework that governs labour relations and collective bargaining; interpret and apply collective agreements as legal documents; understand and apply labour and employment law. An intimate familiarity with labour relations legislation and a general knowledge of arbitral jurisprudence in the representative’s jurisdiction is required.
• Supervise Labour Relations Board applications, responses, and interventions to the LRB.
• Administrative functions such as effective file management, reports, minutes, effective correspondence, and documentation of interaction with members, employers, authorities, and others. Administrative responsibility for Trade Local Boards and union and office committees may also be assigned. Clear and timely written communication is required. 
• Organizing new groups of workers by introducing CLAC (or an affiliated local) to prospective members, signing them up as members and obtaining employer and LRB recognition.
• Public speaking to groups of CLAC’s membership (e.g. bargaining unit, Local and stewards’ meetings) as well as to groups of workers that CLAC is organizing and to industry and solidarity audiences to whom CLAC has an interest in addressing.
• Addressing media questions at public meetings and in private interviews on matters pertaining to CLAC and its goals. Representing the union clearly and well in matters of union and public policy.
• Attend all regional, provincial, and national staff meetings, as required. Lead and attend committee meetings as required.
• Provincial Representatives, as part of an office team and as having responsibility for a unit of workers, must advise, delegate to, and supervise the work of Field Representatives and therefore are also responsible for all of the tasks in the Field Representative job description.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Demonstrated relationship building skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Self-starting and self-motivated.
• Experience in unionized settings, including grievance handling and contract negotiations would be considered an asset.
• Knowledge of provincial and federal labour codes, and labour and human rights legislation would be considered an asset.
• Working towards CPHR/CHRL/CHRP designation is considered an asset.
• This position also involves some travel primarily within MB. 

Reporting and Accountability:

• The Provincial Representative shall report and be accountable to the Regional Director.

To Apply:

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to Geoff Dueck Thiessen, Regional Director by email to gdueckthiessen@clac.ca by February 7, 2025.  Please indicate in your application where you came across the position.

Application Deadline: February 7, 2025

Approximate Start Date: March 1, 2025

We thank all applicants for their interest, but only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

CLAC offers a competitive wage and excellent benefit package, as well as the opportunity to work in a dynamic, rewarding, and challenging workplace community.

CLAC is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities. If you require an accommodation at any stage of the hiring process, we will work with you to meet your needs.