New Director of Employee Relations Joins VIU

Patricia Elliott a welcome addition to the University community

Nanaimo, BC: Vancouver Island University (VIU) is pleased to announce Patricia Elliott has accepted the role of Director of Employee Relations.

Patricia brings many years of experience in employment and labour law to this key VIU role. Previously, she worked as a lawyer, with a focus in labour, employment and administrative law; as an Industrial Relations Officer and Team Lead with the BC Ministry of Labour; and as a senior policy analyst for the BC Ministry of Justice. 

As an employment and labour lawyer with Patterson Palmer in Halifax, Patricia was directly involved in collective bargaining, negotiations, legislative and collective agreement interpretation, and grievance handling. She specialized in education law, primarily in the K-12 sector. While living in the United Kingdom, she worked in Cambridgeshire County Council’s legal services department, where she advised on administrative law issues, legislative interpretation and education appeals.

Patricia’s responsibilities at BC’s Employment Standards Branch included conducting adjudications, investigations and mediations between employers and employees. She has extensive experience in conflict resolution and working collaboratively with a problem-solving approach. Her analytical, research and writings skills strongly supplement her relationship building and effective interpersonal skills.

Patricia received her BA, English (Honours) from Mount Allison University and her law degree from Dalhousie University.

Reporting to the Associate Vice-President of Human Resources, Patricia has the overall responsibility for strategic planning and operational leadership across a wide range of employee and labour relations issues. In her spare time, she enjoys community sports and volunteers as a youth soccer coach. 

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