Boardrooms & Bargaining Tables: A Director’s Guide to Labour Risk and Workforce Tension

Labour disruptions are no longer rare events. They are shaping strategy, reputation, and operational continuity across Canada. From flight attendants to faculty associations to frontline health-care professionals, the issues faced by organizations and those that represent employees are impacting how organizations navigate workforce expectations and change. Yet many directors report that labour relations remain one of the least-understood areas of board oversight. Directors can no longer afford to stay at the sidelines and this knowledge gap is a risk and governance issue.

Join Janet Hazelton, President of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union, ICD.D, who is an experienced board director (workers’ compensation, pension governance and more), for a timely and candid session on what boards must understand about labour dynamics. As both a respected union leader, outstanding communicator, government relations expert and seasoned director, Janet brings a rare mulit-dimensional perspective, illuminating what unions need, how issues unfold, where friction arises, and what boards often misunderstand about labour strategy.

Over 90 minutes, directors will gain a clear, practical understanding of the board’s role versus management; the strategic risks of labour disruptions and gain a greater understanding as to how to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to workforce tension. This is a high-impact, real-world primer designed to equip board members with confidence, clarity, and better judgment.