Marc is a proud Ironworker with Local 721 and brings hard work, strategic thinking and determination to every job. Marc was elected to the position of Business Manager of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario at the 2021 Annual General Convention.

Prior to being elected, Marc served as the Director of Stakeholder Relations with Ontario’s Ironworkers District Council, where he used his 25 years of experience to form collaborative partnerships with purchasers of construction services, contractors, Ironworker Training Centres, and provincial and federal governments. Marc recognizes the value of strong partnerships and played a key role in the creation of the Apprenticeship Enhancement Fund (AEF), by bringing together key partners from the private sector, labour, community, and government to help improve Union Training Centres across Ontario.

Marc is a strong advocate of working people and currently sits on the board for the Ontario Construction Secretariat, BuildForce Canada, and others.

Nathan Carr leads public affairs for Canada’s Building Trades Unions, spearheading comprehensive government relations, public relations, and advocacy strategies that improve the lives of Canada’s 600,000 unionized skilled trades workers.

Prior to joining CBTU, Nathan spent a decade working in public affairs agencies serving organized labour clients and Fortune 500 clients alike, including Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU), the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA), the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association, the Archdiocese of Toronto, and MasterCard Canada.

An award-winning third-party campaign strategist, Nathan is an expert in the development of campaigns that shape public opinion and win on issues. Nathan is a graduate of York University’s Political Science program, and Algonquin College’s Public Relations program.

Deborah Cooper has extensive experience in all aspects of labour relations from the internal grievance process to chairing numerous labour management committees to adjudication, having appeared before numerous tribunals and courts. With respect to collective bargaining specifically, she has bargained in various sectors including the federal public service, the private sector, and the non-profit environment.  In addition to instructing with the Queen’s Industrial Relations Centre (IRC) in multiple labour relations courses for more than 10 years, she currently works as a mediator/adjudicator, facilitator, and speaker.  Immediately prior to this, she was the Executive Director of a federal union representing public service employees in multiple bargaining units across Canada. 

Over the course of her career, Deborah worked in private practice as an employment and labour lawyer until 2005, moving over to work in-house with two different federal bargaining agents. In 2013, she was appointed as General Secretary of the National Joint Council (NJC) of the Public Service of Canada for a five-year term. Among other things, the NJC manages numerous directives agreed to by the parties, and incorporated into their collective agreements, on items ranging from travel and relocation to the health care plan and the long-term disability plan.  In that role as a neutral, she facilitated numerous committee activities and negotiations between the parties.

After her tenure at the NJC, she represented workers in a large federal union and the federally-regulated aviation industry as Director of Labour Relations and General Counsel.  She has also worked in the non-profit industry for over 20 years as a volunteer, sitting on numerous committees and holding various roles from Secretary to President. Deborah also lived and worked in various roles overseas in Paris, France for several years, including at the Canadian Embassy.

She holds an Honours Bachelor Degree from the University of Ottawa, a Law Degree from the University of Western Ontario (now Western University), as well as the Certificate in Labour Relations and Certificate in Advanced Human Resources from Queen’s University IRC. She has been a member of the Law Society of Ontario for over 25 years.

Dr. Wendy Cukier, MA, MBA, PhD, DU (hon) LLD (hon), is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, and the Academic Director and Founder of the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). She is the co-author of the bestseller, Innovation Nation: Canadian Leadership From Java to Jurassic Park and former Vice-President of Research and Innovation at TMU. She has authored more than 200 articles on aspects of diversity, inclusion and innovation. Cukier is one of Canada’s leading experts in disruptive technologies, innovation processes, and diversity and inclusion. The Diversity Institute has more than 130 full-time research staff. Projects include DiversityLeads, which has tracked the representation of women in leadership roles, and a host of projects focused specifically on women in technology. The Diversity Institute has also pioneered innovative projects such as the Advanced Digital and Professional Training program (ADaPT), the Women Entrepreneurship Hub and the Newcomer Entrepreneurship Hub. She is the Academic Research Director of the Future Skills Centre and leads the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, as well as the Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship Network (IIE-Net).

Wendy received many awards for her work advancing diversity and inclusion, including the Meritorious Service Cross, one of Canada’s highest civilian honours. She has been recognized with the Harry Jerome Diversity Award,  the 2019 CATA Alliance Sara Kirke Award, a YWCA Women of Distinction Award, WXN most powerful women and, most recently, the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, Community Builder Award and was named one of the International Women’s Forum 2020 Women Who Make a Difference. She has an MA, MBA, PhD in Management Science and two honorary doctorates.

Mr. Fanelli is the Executive Director of the Construction Labour Relations Association of Ontario, and oversees it’s operations playing a lead role in provincial ICI collective bargaining, dispute/resolution, jurisdiction, and contract administration in the Province of Ontario.

Tony has held senior level positions with some of the largest Engineering, Procurement Construction Contractors (EPCs) in North America accumulating over 30 years experience in Human Resources, Labour Relations, Personnel and Business Development.  Tony has sat on various numbers of Pension, Welfare, Apprenticeship and Training Trust Funds throughout his carrier.  He has been a management trustee on the Teamsters National Pension Fund since 1985, and United Associations’ National Training Trust Fund since1996.

He has chaired various construction associations such as the Boilermaker Contractors Association and Industrial Contractors Association of Canada. 

Tony’s experience spans a broad range of sectors including nuclear, hydroelectric, fossil, solar and wind power generation, as well as infrastructure including roads and light rail, manufacturing, oil refineries, upgraders, LNG, pipelines, petro-chemical and steel mills.

Tony graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1978, and then continued his education at the University of Windsor in the Bachelor of Commerce program in 1979.  Received Financial Certificate from York University in 1997.

Other affiliations that Tony has participated in:

• Co-Chair of the National Pipe Trades Human Resources Committee

• Executive Committee Member of the Construction Users Council of Ontario

• Management Trustee on the Boilermaker Local 128 Training & Education Fund

• Management Trustee on the Operating Engineers, Local 870, Pension, Welfare & Training Funds, Saskatchewan

• Director & Labour Advisor to Construction Owners Council of Ontario

• Management Trustee on the Ontario Teamsters Training Fund

• Management Trustee on the Ontario Teamsters Health & Welfare Fund

• LiUNA International Health & Safety Fund (TRI-FUND)

• Management Trustee on UA International Training Committee

Bill Ferreira has played a leading role in Canada's construction industry for nearly a decade.  Bill assumed the role of Executive Director at BuildForce Canada in August 2017, after serving as Vice-President, Government Relations and Public Affiars at the Canadian Construction Association since 2008.  Bill has also served as a Senior Policy Advisor in a range of portfolios at the Federal Government, including Citizenship and Immigration, Environment Canada and International Trade.  Following government, Bill joined a boutique government relations firm in Ottawa, focusing his expertise on the energy, transportation and telecommunications sectors.  Bill also played a pivotal role as Director of Government Affairs at the Forest Products Association of Canada.

Bill was born in Toronto.  He's a graduate of Carlton University in Ottawa where he earned a degree in Political Science.

Jason Foster is Associate Professor of Human Resources and Labour Relations at Athabasca University. He is also Director of Parkland Institute, a public interest research institute based at the University of Alberta. Jason is the author of Gigs, Hustles, & Temps (2023) and Defying Expectations: The Case of UFCW Local 401 (2018), as well as co-author of Health and Safety in Canadian Workplaces (2016) and The Practice of Human Resource Management in Canada (2024). He has published dozens of articles on topics related to work and is a frequent commentator in the media. His research interests include workplace injury, union renewal, labour and employment policy, and migrant workers in Canada.

Gary Furlong

Chartered Mediator (C.Med.), Master of Laws (ADR), Osgoode Hall Law School, Distinguished Fellow, International Academy of Mediators

Facilitator

About Gary Furlong

Gary Furlong has extensive experience in labour mediation, alternative dispute resolution, negotiation, and conflict resolution.  Gary is past president of the ADR Institute of Ontario, is a Chartered Mediator (C. Med.) and holds his Master of Laws (ADR) from Osgoode Hall Law School.  Gary is the author of The Conflict Resolution Toolbox, John Wiley and Sons, Second Edition 2020; the co-author of BrainFishing: A Practice Guide to Questioning Skills, FriesenPress 2018;and The Sports Playbook, Routledge, 2018.

Gary has worked with the Queen’s University School of Industrial Relations conducting research into employment models of dispute resolution in Canadian companies. He teaches a number of labour-related courses at Queen’s University IRC, along with advanced mediation skills at York University.

In the labour area, Gary mediates collective agreements, grievances and labour board complaints for sectors as diverse as school boards, public health care, utilities, and airlines across Canada. Gary has delivered collective bargaining negotiation skills training for both management and union bargaining teams, bringing a strong focus of effective and collaborative skills to the table. Gary specializes in leading joint bargaining training for intact negotiation teams just prior to negotiations, with a focus on helping parties maximize joint gains at the table. In addition, Gary also conducts relationship building interventions to strengthen day-to-day union-management effectiveness away from bargaining.

Gary has worked with a wide range of organizations in the private sector, in the public sector with municipalities, provincial governments and the federal government, and with unions including Unifor, Teamsters, CUPE, ONA, OPSEU, IATSE and PSAC.

Gary was awarded the McGowan Award of Excellence by the ADR Institute of Canada. He is a graduate of Stanford University in California.

Akanksha Gautam is the Trade Ambassador CODC Construction Opportunities Development Council Inc. and CLR Construction Labour Relations Association of Saskatchewan Inc. With eight years of HR experience from her home country and almost four years in Canadian settlement agencies, she is a Registered Professional Recruiter, Certified Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Specialist, and Certified Talent Management and Succession Planning Specialist.

In her role, Akanksha promotes Saskatchewan's unionized construction and maintenance industry through trade shows, conferences, orientations, and webinars. As a Trade Ambassador, she connects unions and contractors with new talent, builds partnerships with organizations across the province, and maintains strong relationships to support the industry's growth.

Karen Gordon is a communications strategist with over two decades’ experience answering the bell for leading law firms and their corporate clients, employers of all stripes, emergency services organizations, and sports leagues and clubs. She provides deep, strategically targeted expertise in practice areas encompassing employment and labour relations, litigation, and crisis and incident management. Widely recognized for her communications knowledge, Karen is a regular expert commentator on both radio and television.

Since founding Gordon Strategy in 2002 (originally Squeaky Wheel Communications), Karen has developed an extensive body of work punctuated by numerous high-stakes, high-profile, and strategically complex engagements, including close to 100 rounds of collective bargaining, high-profile executive employment terminations and some of the country's highest profile legal cases.

Mandy is currently Chief Operating Officer with Connect Group Inc. working in the heavy industrial sector of energy, mining, and resource industries. As COO, Mandy oversees company operations, project timelines, and business developments while also taking a large role in setting and driving the organizational vision and mission, and corporate strategy. Beginning at a young age, Mandy was tasked with learning the intimate workings of trades, while concurrently understanding what operational attributes were key to the success of any enterprise. With over 18 years of formal experience ranging from construction management to design, planning, and construction, Mandy brings the background and ability to build, implement, lead, and manage a diverse portfolio projects, people, and systems.

Mandy was raised in rural Alberta, immersed in her Métis grassroots traditions and immersed in a family of mechanically inclined individuals. After graduating from NAIT in 2006 with a diploma in Civil Technology, she gained extensive technical skills working on civil projects and land development in a rapidly growing industry. While completing her education at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Extension in Contract Management, she transitioned into structural steel manufacturing. In that capacity, she worked on large-scale commercial projects, enhancing her leadership skills and developing business operations.

In 2012, Mandy earned her Project Management Professional designation. She continued to grow her technical expertise, raise a family, and finally moved into the industrial maintenance sector. Mandy is an active contributor to her small-town community and a passionate advocate for Métis youth. She and her husband run a ranch together with their three children.

Robert was raised in Port Arthur, (now Thunder Bay) Ontario, where he attended York University on a hockey scholarship. He attended Confederation College also in Thunder Bay and earned a Diploma in International Business.

Robert first became a member of the IUPAT in April 1985, painting as a summer student at the Port Arthur Ship Building Company in Thunder Bay.

It was not until after graduation that Robert became the Business Manager of Local 1671 in Thunder Bay. During this time, he was elected Secretary to the local building trades. He was also a Director with the Superior North Apprenticeship Board.

In 2000, Robert and his family located to Caledonia, Ontario where he accepted an Organizer position with Local 205 in Hamilton. In the Fall of 2000, Robert was appointed General President’s Representative (GPR), and attended the Harvard University Trade Union Program in 2001.

In 2005, he was appointed General Vice President and in 2009, was elected to that position. On January 1 2024, Robert transitioned to be Senior Advisor to the General President. Active in many aspects of the industry, Robert serves as an alternate delegate for the General President’s Maintenance Committee. He is Co-Chair of the IUPAT Industry Pension Fund Canada.

In 2012, Robert was elected as the Chairman of the Executive Board for the Canadian Building Trades.

Robert is an active member in his community as a Knight of Columbus. He and his wife Suzanne have been married for 38 years and have two sons.

Shandra Linder, BA, MBA,  is the principal of Linder Industrial Relations Consulting Ltd.  Shandra represents multiple clients in Heavy Industrial Maintenance and Construction.  She is the Acting President of the Association of Maintenance Contractors Canada (AMCC), and is an influential leader with over 24 years of expertise in management and labour relations. Her diverse career has spanned the public sector, post-secondary institutions, and large industrial maintenance and construction projects. Notably, she served as a Senior Labour Relations Advisor at Syncrude Canada Ltd. for a significant tenure, where she was recognized for her achievements, including a robust COVID-19 response and cost-effective restoration of plants.  Her broad knowledge encompasses areas such as contractor management, safety, workforce acquisition, and policy building, especially within Canada's Oilsands Owner environment. Beyond her primary roles, Shandra's impact has also been felt through her active board and committee participation with organizations like ACTIMS, the Construction Owners Association of Alberta, where she influenced industry standards and practices. An advocate for innovation and excellence, Shandra has played a crucial role in shaping policies and forging strong relationships with unions, contractors, and industry operators across Canada. Her insights into policy creation, economic forecasting, and organizational effectiveness, along with an MBA in Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment, underscore her standing as a key influencer in her field.

Stephen is a partner in our Toronto office. He acts as Counsel for many local and Provincial Construction Associations, individual contractors and a range of other employers. In this capacity Stephen provides advice and advocacy in collective bargaining; before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and before various adjudicative bodies and Courts throughout Ontario.

Stephen is a co- author of several labour and employment law texts, including “Canadian Construction Labour & Employment Law” (LexisNexis Canada Inc.); Practice Guides for Occupational Health and Safety and The Purchase and Sale of a Business (Carswell). Stephen is rated as “consistently recommended” in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and is also listed by Best Lawyers in Canada as a leader in Labour and Employment Law in Canada.

Prior to attending law school, Stephen spent six years in the automotive industry as co-founder of an engine components manufacturing company. Sandco Automotive Limited grew from a small two-person business to become a drive train parts supplier to OEM with over 200 employees in Ontario.

Before joining Mathews Dinsdale Stephen was for 25 years the founding partner and principal of a labour and employment law firm in Hamilton, Ontario.

Brian O’Byrne was appointed Chair of the Board commencing in February 2022. He was formerly a partner at two prominent firms practicing in the areas of labour relations, including collective bargaining, employment and workplace human rights law. Mr. O’Byrne has been recognized over the years as a leading labour law practitioner and was a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars. He has acted for both public and private sector clients and appeared on their behalf in proceedings before arbitrators and tribunals, including the Board. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School.

Paul has a Bachelor of Commerce from UBC and has been working in Labour Relations and Human Resources since completing his degree.  He has been Senior Director, Labour Relations since August 2019 and initially joined CLR as Director, Labour Relations in August 2012. 

Prior to CLR he worked as a Senior Negotiator at Metro Vancouver supporting collective bargaining and labour relations in the municipal sector.

As Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, an association of 14 international unions representing over 600,000 members, Sean Strickland is responsible for overseeing the operations of the CBTU office, including advocating for progressive public policies that benefit our membership, and securing work opportunities for unionized construction.

Before joining CBTU, Sean worked in business development for a large general contractor and prior to that was CEO of a joint labour management organization in Ontario, the Ontario Construction Secretariat. Growing up in a construction union household, Sean was able to experience the rewards and challenges of being a construction worker and union leader.

Sean sits on numerous boards and advisory committees including Helmets to Hardhats, SKILLPLAN, the Canadian Development corporation, (CDEV) and is Chair of Buildforce Canada.

Sean has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Waterloo, is a graduate of the Executive Management Program at Wilfrid Laurier University, and the Leadership Development program from Harvard University. He is the proud recipient of the Canada 125 Medal for Community Service.

Mr. Vlahos is the Executive Director of the General Contractors’ Association of Toronto (GCAT). He supports and advises unionized general contractors in the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) construction sectors who are bound to one or more of the Operating Engineers, Labourers, Carpenters, Cement Masons, Bricklayers and/or Iron Workers (Rodmen) ICI Collective Agreements. Mr. Vlahos is responsible for collective bargaining, collective agreement interpretation and administration within the Greater Toronto Area as well as government relations with various municipal bodies and provincial ministries. He has served as the Chair of provincial bargaining for both the Carpenters’ and Operating Engineers’ Employer Agencies for both the 2019 and 2022 negotiation rounds. In addition, Mr. Vlahos proudly serves as a management trustee for three different health and welfare trusts, two training and apprenticeship trusts and one pension trust fund. He serves as a member of the International Foundation Canadian Investment Committee.