Labour Relations 2025

Course Chairs
Sandra I. Banister, KC — Banister & Company, Vancouver
Clayton Jones — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Sandra Banister has practiced labour law and civil litigation (primarily personal injury and wrongful dismissal) since 1982 when she was called to the BC bar. She represents her trade union clients before provincial and federal tribunals, arbitrators and in courts across the country.

In 2018 and 2024, she was appointed by the Minister of Labour to a three person expert panel to review the Labour Code and make recommendations for changes. The report from the 2018 review formed the basis of the new Labour Code, which was unanimously adopted by the Legislature in May 2019. She acted as Special Counsel to the BC Transit Board on issues of successorship and contracting out, and represented the Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture as Special Advisor on the Status of the Artist.

Sandra has been a frequent speaker at a variety of conferences and seminars for the Trial Lawyers Association, CLEBC, the Labour Law Section of the CBA (BC), Lancaster House, Insight, the Centre for Labour Management, and the BC Federation of Labour. She has taught numerous labour related courses for trade unions and has organized and instructed the provincial labour law course for the annual Canadian Labour Congress Harrison Winter School since 1985.

Sandra is named in Best Lawyers, and in 2010, her ability and achievements in the legal profession were recognized when she was designated King's Counsel.

Clayton Jones is a partner at Fasken where he manages the LEHR Group in addition to a busy labour, employment, and human rights practice.

Clayton provides strategic and practical advice to employers related to workplace matters in both union and non-union contexts. Clients also frequently rely on Clayton to assist with significant workplace changes including workforce reductions, closures, bankruptcies/insolvencies, and corporate transactions.

Clayton is the former Chair of the CBABC Labour Law Subsection and has co-chaired the Labour Relations conference since 2017.

Featured Speakers
Delayne M. Sartison, KC — Roper Greyell LLP, Vancouver
David W. Tarasoff — Hastings Labour Law Office LLP, Vancouver

Faculty
Andres Esteban Barker — Associate Chair, BC Labour Relations Board, Vancouver
Jennifer Glougie — Chair, BC Labour Relations Board, Vancouver 
Michael Hamata — Roper Greyell LLP, Vancouver
Donald J. Jordan, KC — Harris & Company LLP, Vancouver
Emily Luther — BC General Employees' Union, Burnaby
Trish Martini — Deputy Registrar, BC Labour Relations Board, Vancouver
Stephanie T. Mayor — Black Burke Mayor LLP, Vancouver
Keith J. Murray — Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP, Vancouver 
Robert A. Pekeles — Arbitrator and Mediator, Vancouver
John D. Rogers, KC — Victory Square Law Office LLP, Vancouver 
Gabriel M.A. Somjen, KC — Arbitrator and Mediator, Vancouver 

Click here for full faculty bios

• operational update (Board processes, budget, etc.)
• policy updates and trends

• jurisdictional issues
• changes to the definition of "strike" and "person" as it relates to picketing and federal work stoppages
• secondary picketing
• scope of replacement worker provisions

• case management
• mediation
• med/arb 

• changes in the law
• trends when it comes to procedural matters
• the evolving practice of labour law

• Labour Relations Board decisions
• arbitration awards
• judicial review decisions