Canadian Network of Education HR Professionals
Inaugural Conference

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Pre-Conference Networking Event

Monday, March 10, 2025
Staff Engagement Focus

Morning Session -

Employee Misconduct Investigations in
School Board Settings

This panel presentation will provide a step-by-step guide to conducting investigations into misconduct/sexual harassment allegations in the education environment. Presenters will speak to:

  • Dealing with on duty and off duty conduct

  • Interviewing techniques and best practices for handling sensitive situations

  • How to work with union representatives when they aren’t being cooperative 

  • Documenting findings and maintaining confidentiality throughout the process

  • Contemplating the type of disciplinary action

Presented by:

Brian Sartorelli
President, Investigative Risk Management

Carol Dey
Executive Manager Human Resources & Equity Services, Waterloo Region District School Board

Melissa L. Eldridge
Co-Chair, National School Boards Practice, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Toronto

______________________________

Truth and Reconciliation in Human Resource Practices 

School administrators and HR professionals have been implementing truth and reconciliation to their school districts, students, and staff. But are we doing enough or have we just scratched the surface? In an era where large corporations are reversing their DEI programs, what are the areas in which we can truly understand truth and reconciliation and implement more HR practices for reconciliation. 

Presented by:

Chas Desjarlais
Director of Instruction- Indigenous Education, Vancouver School Board

Michael Rossi
Director of Instruction- Employee Services, Vancouver School Board

______________________________

Afternoon Session -

Implementing AI Safely:
A Practical Guide for Canadian Schools 

This panel will delve into the complex world of AI, exploring its potential to revolutionize education and HR while addressing the critical issues of safety and ethics.

Participants will gain insights into:

  • The AI Landscape: Understanding the benefits and risks of AI technologies.

  • Governance Best Practices: Establishing robust frameworks for AI oversight.

  • Security and Privacy: Protecting sensitive data and mitigating cyber threats.

  • Practical Strategies: Learn how the Halton DSB enabled responsible use of AI.

Join us as we equip Canadian schools with the knowledge and tools to harness the power of AI while safeguarding our students and staff.

Presented by:

Daniel J. Michaluk
National Co-Leader, Cyber and Privacy, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Toronto
______________________________

Violence in the Classroom

Many have seen the headlines reporting increased violence in schools following the COVID-19 pandemic. As education HR professionals, how do we keep our staff safe, while ensuring we meet our duties to our students?

We will navigate the complex legal and practical realities surrounding violence in the classroom, including:

  • Student Discipline vs. Student Exclusion

  • Work refusals and student safety plans

  • Human rights considerations,
    including disability

  • Staff shortages

Together, we will explore how to maintain safe schools while ensuring legal compliance.

Presented by: 

Nadya Tymochenko
Senior Counsel, National School Boards Practice, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Toronto

Gillian Tuck Kutarna
Senior Counsel, National School Boards Practice, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Ottawa

______________________________

Evening Session -

Networking Event

Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Labour Relations Focus

Morning Session -

Labour and Employment Hot Topics 

To kick off our second conference day, we will discuss some of the hot topics on everyone’s mind as we enter Spring 2025. Topics discussed may include any of the following:

  • Pay transparency legislation, especially for publicly-advertised job postings

  • Increasing damages awards for employee termination or instances of sexual harassment

  • Flexible work and hybrid work models

  • Remote employees, temporary help agencies, and the gig economy

  • Use of AI in hiring

  • Legal strikes and workplace disruptions

  • Culpable vs. non-culpable absenteeism

Presented by:

Shelley-Mae Mitchell
National Business Leader, Labour and Employment, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver

______________________________

Teacher and Support Staff Bargaining at the
Local School District Tables 

This session will be a panel discussion where the presenters will speak to trends, challenges and successes of teacher and support staff bargaining at the local school district bargaining level across the provinces. Attendees will be sure to be able to take away information to support their own local bargaining tables. 

Presented by: 

Alison Jones
Director of Collective Bargaining, BC Public Schools Employer’s Association (BCPSEA)

Andrew Gold
Director of Labour Relations, Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA), 

Steven St. Amand
Senior Negotiations Strategist, Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA), Government of Alberta

______________________________

Afternoon Session -

Successful Collaborative Bargaining Practices from the Perspective of the Employer and Union Negotiators
- the Historic 2024 Manitoba first provincial collective agreement experience.

In 2022, the Province of Manitoba changed the Public Schools Act to move from thirty-seven distinct local school district teacher collective agreements to one single tier teacher provincial collective agreement. Everyone said it couldn’t be done and that it was destined to be resolved by an interest arbitration. 

This presentation will talk about the provincial bargaining preparation process, the challenge of dealing with the union’s ‘best of the best’ and ‘no teacher shall lose’ approaches, political pressures at the bargaining table, dealing with 2022’s inflationary pressures, and finding ways to collaborate with the union culminating in the first ever provincial agreement that satisfied all stakeholders. 

Presented By:

Justin Rempel
Executive Director Collective Bargaining, BCPSEA (formerly the Director of Human Resource Services & Provincial Bargaining, Manitoba School Boards Association)

______________________________

Settlements and Remedies:
Resolving Workplace Disputes in a Productive Manner

When a school board receives a union grievance or other complaint, there are numerous considerations at play. What is fair? How much will this cost? Will this set a bad precedent? What is our legal risk and exposure? 

This presentation will consider the numerous ways that grievances are ultimately resolved, including finding creative, mutually beneficial solutions through the grievance procedure and at mediation, as well as taking the case all the way to a hearing before a labour arbitrator or tribunal. 

We will place a special focus on the wide range of remedies that labour arbitrators and tribunals may order, from minor inconveniences to potentially significant impacts on a school board’s operations.

Presented by:

John-Paul Alexandrowicz
Co-Chair, National School Boards Practice, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Toronto

______________________________