For more than 15 years, Professor Bob Thompson’s IRE1610HF: Industrial Relations course has given students the opportunity to apply in-class learning to real-world experiences.
Through a workplace arbitration simulation, jointly sponsored by Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP and the CIRHR, MIRHR students form groups of three to persuasively argue a case from either a management or union perspective – a learning opportunity that combines both Labour Relations and Human Resource knowledge, distinguishing the program (and its students) from other programs that teach one or the other.
Last week, the following top-performing teams presented their arguments to their classmates, arbitrators, and faculty:
Union Representatives: Janet Nguyen, Courtenay Montambault, and Chantol Jackson
Management Representatives: Sadhana Koganti, Emilio Goya, and Bowen Gao
While the Union team emerged victorious, both teams were exceptional, representing the very best of the CIRHR. On joining the IRE1610HF course, Chantol Jackson, a finalist for the union side, said: “I was hoping to better understand labour relations from a union vs. management perspective, as the bulk of my work experience has been in non-unionized environments. My understanding of labour relations has increased 10-fold in the short time I've been in the program, surpassing my expectations.”
The arbitrators for the mock simulation included esteemed legal professionals, Natalie Garvin, Senior Counsel for Labour, Employment & Compliance at ONxpress; Eric Gresham, Director of HR Legal Services at Magna International; and Brian MacDonald, Partner at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP.
For MIRHR students, the opportunity to present their arguments to lawyers, and receive coaching and constructive feedback, is uniquely valuable, emphasizing the complexities and nuances of labour relations when applied to real-world scenarios.
The advice given to MIRHR students holds particular value for those intending to work in the IR/HR space. “Although the lawyers initially seemed intimidating,” said Janet Nguyen, another union-side finalist, “the feedback they provided was tremendously valuable. It is the kind of insight that I can see myself applying throughout my career.”
“The mock arbitration process has been an incredible learning experience, “added Emilio Goya, a management-side finalist. “Professor Thompson’s teaching style made complex concepts accessible and practical.”
For other students in the class, the experience of watching their peers present was also rewarding. “Seeing them stand up there with such confidence and clarity was inspiring,” said Alissia Sannuto, reflecting on the evening. “I could tell how much effort they had put into preparing, and it was amazing to see how they handled the tough questions so calmly and professionally.”
Thank you, Professor Thompson and Jen Harmer, the course’s teaching assistant, for coordinating the mock arbitration and setting our students up for success!
A special thank you to Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP and Paula Puddy for sponsoring and facilitating this enriching and wonderful event.
Our gratitude is also extended to the library team, Sarah Clark Morgan and Manda Vrkljan, as well as the CIRHR team, Professor Hua Wang, Tanya Pitel, Joanna Jiang, and Carol Canzano-Hamala. We’re already looking forward to another successful mock arbitration in 2025.