Location: Toronto, Orillia or Sudbury, ON Canada
Type: Permanent Full-time
Group/Grade: Bargaining Unit/Officer

Grade Rate: $111,335.63 (start)

Date: August 13, 2025

The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is Canada’s largest nurses’ union. We are powered by our members — 68,000 nurses and health-care professionals, and 18,000 nursing student affiliates — who provide care in hospitals, long-term care, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

Our mission is to defend the rights of and advocate for nurses and health-care professionals who care for the health of Ontarians. We empower members and fight against unfair and unsafe treatment, negotiate and enforce our contracts, offer benefits and insurance, provide tailored education and development opportunities and much more. We confront governments, administrations and other policymakers head on to fight for high-quality public health care.

ONA is seeking to hire a Labour Relations Officer (Health & Safety Specialist) to join our Health & Safety Team. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Professional Practice/Health & Safety, this position is a key support and organizational resource on health & safety for ONA members, with a primary focus supporting Region 1 and other areas in the province as needed. This position is responsible for effecting the legislative, regulatory and policy changes required to ensure the safety of ONA members by providing strategic advice to senior leadership, engaging in advocacy work and working in partnership with stakeholders and allies in the movement. This position is also a key resource to ONA staff, supporting them in ensuring that ONA members’ right to work in a healthy and safe environment is protected via the collective agreement and legislation and in mobilizing our elected health and safety representatives and front-line members to this end.

This is what else you can expect from this dynamic role:

• Provides strategic advice and support to ONA’s senior leadership that aligns with ONA’s health and safety objectives on legislative, regulatory and policy matters, stakeholder partnerships and collaboration, communications and advocacy.
• Provides strategic advice and coaching to elected Bargaining Unit ONA representatives and the ONA staff who support them to achieve health and safety excellence in their workplaces through their Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs).
• Advocates on behalf of ONA members to government on legislative and policy-based issues that will impact our members’ workplaces through participation on committees, writing and presenting submissions and/or position statements, and providing feedback in a consultative manner on programs, pilots and initiatives.
• Effective file management which includes developing early intervention strategies and opportunities when health and safety concerns are raised – both at Bargaining Unit and provincial levels, addressing competing priorities among files, maintaining timelines, and advancing files in a timely manner, all the while ensuring that both staff and elected leaders are engaged in the process.
• Resolves all member issues in an expedient and satisfactory manner or escalates, as appropriate.
• Identifies trends related to health and safety, return to work and labour relations to the appropriate teams to ensure members’ rights are protected.
• Keeps abreast of any legislative and regulatory changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) that impact ONA members.
• Designs and delivers education to staff and members on health and safety matters.
• Is knowledgeable of any research related to health and safety and the impact on workers.

What we are looking for

The successful candidate will possess -

• Post-secondary school degree or diploma in Occupational Health & Safety and/or in Labour/Industrial Relations (or related field).
• A Registered Nurse designation is an asset.
• Three (3) to five (5) years of recent and relevant experience in health and safety, preferably in a unionized environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in written submissions to government.
• Experience in conducting health & safety appeals.
• Education/training or recognized equivalent work experience in adult education, facilitation, presentation preferred.
• Strong and demonstrated knowledge of and ability to interpret applicable codes, standards, guidelines; demonstrated working knowledge of the Occupational Health & Safety Act, other Acts and related federal, provincial and local regulations, standards, legislation that govern health and safety compliance with proven experience in making workplaces safe for workers.
• Excellent client relations, coaching/mentoring, communication and advocacy skills.
• Strong influencing skills with a demonstrated ability to effectively lead and motivate others.
• Alternative Dispute and Conflict Resolution and/or Advanced Mediation and Workplace Conflict Coaching Certification and/or training is an asset.
• Ability to speak other languages is considered an asset.

All interested candidates may apply via ONA Jobs by 4:30 p.m. on August 27, 2025.

The Ontario Nurses’ Association is committed to employment equity within its staff. Applications are encouraged from equity-deserving groups including individuals of Indigenous descent, Racialized individuals, individuals with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI persons. We also provide accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (‘AODA’). If you require accommodation for a disability during any stage of the recruitment process, please notify Human Resources at HumanResources@ona.org*.*

Thank you for your interest in joining us. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.