The Conflict Management Certificate Program is pleased to support the newly established Labour Relations Academy of Canada, led by Gary Furlong, with whom Grebel has maintained a longstanding collaboration. Gary and Agree Inc. played a key role in the original design of the Conflict Management Certificate Program in 1998 and have collaborated on various initiatives over the past 25+ years.
This new collaboration with the Labour Relations Academy of Canada introduces valuable learning opportunities that address the evolving needs of the labour relations field. It represents an exciting expansion of the Conflict Management Certificate Program.
This page outlines upcoming workshops, which may be applied towards elective requirements for both the Conflict Management and Mediation Certificate.
As Director of LRAC and principal at Agree for over 30 years, Gary has an extensive practice in mediation, negotiation, labour relations, conflict resolution and training.
Gary is past president of the ADR Institute of Ontario, and is the author of “The Conflict Resolution Toolbox”, Second Edition, John Wiley and Sons, 2020, the co-author of “BrainFishing: A Practice Guide to Questioning Skills”, FriesenPress 2018, and co-author of “Strategic Negotiation: Building Organizational Excellence,” published by Routledge in 2023, among other books and articles.
Gary was awarded the McGowan Award of Excellence in ADR by the ADR Institute of Canada, and has been guest instructor and adjunct professor at the Osgoode Hall Law School LL.M. program for over 20 years. holds a Chartered mediator (C. Med.) designation, and is a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators and an invited member of the Canadian Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.
Mastering Collective Bargaining
Skills and tools for delivering results at the table.
Dates:
February 22-26, 2027
Times:
10:00 am - 5:30 pm (Mon -Thur)
10:00 am - 3:00 pm (Fri)
Facilitator:
Gary Furlong with LRAC leaders and coaches. (See LRAC website for further details)
Location:
Virtual - Zoom
Rates:
Regular Rate $3,795 + HST
Early Bird Rate (register by February 1, 2027) $3,415.50 + HST
REGISTRATION
A Synopsis of the Program
Collective bargaining can either be one of the most stressful experiences leaders undertake, or it can be a critical enabler of both your organization’s strategy and an effective way get far better results for both the union and management. What determines this will be the skills, tools and approach of the bargaining teams that go to the table. This five-day workshop will bring your bargaining team into the 21st century with a comprehensive approach to bargaining that creates and maximizes value at the table – for both parties.
This experiential workshop is taught by facilitators and coaches who have been to the bargaining table hundreds of times in leadership roles for both management and union teams. Our professionals have experienced every type of bargaining tactic, strategy and approach at the table, and know what works and what doesn’t. The collective bargaining process is organized into a clear, systematic and repeatable process you can successfully apply for the rest of your labour relations career.
Centred around a detailed simulation, every participant will spend a full day, hands-on, negotiating a collective agreement in real time.
For more details, visit the Labour Relations Academy of Canada's website.
Leading and Managing in Unionized Environments
Critical Skills for Managers, Supervisors & Union Stewards. (online)
Dates:
December 1-3, 2026
Times:
10 am - 5:00 pm
Facilitator:
Gary Furlong with LRAC leaders and coaches (see LRAC website for further details)
Location
ONLINE (Zoom)
Rates:
Introductory Rate for December $2,630 + HST
Register four weeks early for an additional 5% discount, $2,476+ HST
REGISTRATION
Online - December 1-3, 2026
Online - April 13-15, 2027 (see form for rates)
For full details, check out the website for the Labour Relations Academy of Canada
A Synopsis of the Program
All workplaces, and especially unionized ones, develop a culture that either promotes performance and collaboration, or descends into friction and conflict. Often, this is because the people critical to leading at the front lines – managers, supervisors and union stewards – have never been trained in how to work effectively together, especially in unionized settings. Unions, employees and managers have vastly more common interests in every workplace than they have competing interests – yet a great deal of time, energy and resources are wasted every day through poor engagement, poor communication and an adversarial relationship. It doesn’t need to be this way.
This workshop will bring together all parties in the workplace to help create an environment where everyone has the respect, tools and training to be the best they can be. It will teach parties how to raise difficult issues and resolve them long before needing grievances or arbitration to get an answer.
Centred around an exercise-based learning environment led by a facilitator and coach with decades of practical experience, participants will leave with a clear plan for building a healthy and strong culture in any unionized (or even non-unionized) environment.
Keeping It In-House: Investigation Skills for HR Professionals
Conducting Effective Internal Fact-Finding — And Knowing When to Go External.
Dates:
December 9 - 10, 2026 (two days)
Times:
9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Delivery Mode:
Online
Facilitators:
Blaine Donais and Marshall Schnapp
Registration December 2026: (See form for rates)
Registration May 12-14, 2027 (New three day format - see form for rates)
A Synopsis of the Program
Workplace investigations require sound judgment, careful planning, strong interviewing skills, and a fair and defensible process.
HR and labour relations professionals are often called upon to investigate sensitive or complex workplace concerns from a trauma-based approach while managing confidentiality, workplace relationships, legal obligations, collective agreement requirements, and organizational risk.
This practical workshop provides a structured approach to conducting effective internal workplace investigations and fact-finding. You will work through the entire process — from receiving and assessing a complaint to planning the investigation, conducting interviews, evaluating evidence, making findings, and preparing the final report.
Just as importantly, you will learn how to determine when an investigation can appropriately remain in-house and when the circumstances call for an external investigator.
Using realistic workplace scenarios, discussion, and practical exercises, you will build the confidence and skills to conduct investigations that are thorough, impartial, trauma-informed, timely, and procedurally fair.