Labour Relations Specialist

GFL Environmental is seeking a Labour Relations Specialist to join our Labour Relations team in a development-focused role. This position is ideal for someone who has been exposed to unionized environments, collective bargaining, and grievance or arbitration processes, and who is motivated to build a long-term career in Labour Relations. This role does not require prior experience leading negotiations or owning labour relations strategy. Instead, it is designed for someone eager to learn the craft of labour relations—including how to prepare for bargaining, participate at the table, and develop the skills required to represent the organization in arbitration—under the guidance and mentorship of the Director, Labour Relations.

Key Responsibilities

Exposure to Collective Bargaining & Negotiation

• Participate in collective bargaining preparation and bargaining sessions alongside senior LR leadership.

• Support bargaining preparation activities, including research, costing, document preparation, and note-taking.

• Gain progressive exposure to negotiation strategy with the goal of developing future table leadership skills.

Grievance & Arbitration Support

• Support grievance handling and arbitration preparation, including documentation review, fact gathering, and analysis.

• Observe and assist in arbitration proceedings with the opportunity to progressively build advocacy skills.

• Learn how to prepare cases, arguments, and briefing materials for hearings and dispute resolution forums.

Labour Relations Operations & Advisory Support

• Provide day-to-day labour relations support to HR and operational leaders under the guidance of the Director.

• Assist with the interpretation and administration of collective agreements, including seniority, wage changes, and compliance matters.

• Track grievance trends, arbitration outcomes, and emerging issues to support informed decision-making.

Relationship Building & Learning

• Build working relationships with union representatives, site leaders, and HR partners.

• Participate in learning opportunities, mentoring, and funded external training related to labour relations, bargaining, and arbitration advocacy.

What You Bring

• Education: Post-secondary education in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Labour Studies, Law, or a related discipline.

• Experience: 2–5+ years of exposure to labour relations in a unionized environment (e.g., HR, employee relations, LR support role).

• Bargaining & Arbitration Exposure: Prior exposure to collective bargaining and/or arbitration processes is required (table leadership not required).

• Career Interest: A strong interest in developing into a bargaining and arbitration practitioner over time.

• Regulatory Awareness: Working knowledge of provincial and/or federal labour and employment legislation.

• Mobility: Ability and willingness to travel 30–50% of the time to support operations across service areas.

• Work Model Flexibility: Comfortable working remotely or from a nearby GFL location when available.

• Language Skills: English required; French bilingualism considered a strong asset but not mandatory.

• Additional Assets: Exposure to U.S. labour relations environments is considered an asset, though not required

What’s In It For You: