William (Bill) Johnson, current chair of the board, is stepping down from his current role to become a part-time vice-chair.  Nancy Schlesinger, current vice-chair, will assume the position of chair, while keeping her position as essential services commissioner.

“I am pleased to welcome Nancy as the new chair of the Labour Relations Board. Her qualifications and 18 years of prior experience on the board will serve her well in this new role. I also want to thank Bill for his contributions and leadership as chair and for continuing to provide his specialized skills and expertise to the board as a part-time vice-chair.”

Jason Copping, Minister of Labour and Immigration

The Alberta Labour Relations Board is responsible for providing fair, equitable, timely and consistent decisions regarding labour relations issues in the province. Board members are selected to represent both management and labour perspectives.

Biographies

Nancy Schlesinger

  • Bachelor of arts and laws degrees, University of Alberta.
  • Admitted to the Alberta bar in November 1995.
  • Clerked with the Alberta Court of Appeal and Court of Queen's Bench before completing her articles at the law firm of Witten Binder.
  • First started with the Alberta Labour Relations Board in 1996 on a six-month secondment as legal counsel. She then spent three years working as legal counsel at the Alberta Court of Appeal, returning to the board in 1999 to work as legal counsel
  • Appointed as vice-chair of the Alberta Labour Relations Board beginning in January 2002.

William (Bill) Johnson

  • Bachelor of arts and commerce degrees, University of Saskatchewan.
  • Law degree, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.
  • Partner in Calgary law firm McGown Johnson since 1982.
  • Diverse background in labour and employment law across economic sectors, including retail, industrial, health care, public sector, transportation, entertainment, communications, education, construction and utilities.
  • Appointed Queen’s counsel in 2002.
  • Inducted into the College of Labour and Employment Lawyers in 2011.
  • Appointed as a member of the Alberta Human Rights Commission, 2013 to 2016.
  • Appointed as vice-chair of the Alberta Labour Relations Board in January 2016.
  • Appointed as chair of the Alberta Labour Relations Board in November 2016.