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About

Jitesh Mistry

About Me

Hi, I'm Jitesh.

I am a seasoned labour lawyer and adjudicator offering labour arbitration and mediation services across Canada.

I look forward to assisting you in resolving your unionized and non-unionized workplace disputes. 

Jitesh Mistry

Jitesh Mistry

Labour Arbitrator and Mediator
My Approach

Openness, Proportionality, Real-life Understanding

I have adjudicated, mediated and argued cases of varying levels of complexity and across all sectors, including public service, health, construction, pulp, paper and forestry.

It is my goal to a bring a balanced, practical approach to unionized workplace disputes, as well as bring some much-needed diversity to the arbitration roster.

Over the course of my career, I have worked hard to develop a reputation for having a balanced, reasonable perspective with credibility on both sides of the labour relations community and with people of diverse backgrounds. I also understand how to calibrate my approach to be efficient and proportionate to the nature of the dispute.

I bring this approach — grounded in openness, proportionality, and a real-life understanding of unique perspectives — to labour arbitration and mediation. 

My Background as an

Adjudicator

As an arbitrator and mediator, I have been consensually selected to assist parties in the private and public sector across Canada. My broad acceptability to both employers and unions is apparent by my admission to the:

From 2013-16, I was appointed by Provincial Government Cabinet Order-in-Council as a Vice-Chair of the British Columbia Labour Relations Board (the “Board”). As a Vice-Chair, I presided over both simple and complex hearings and issued speedy and practical written decisions.  The issues before me spanned across all labour relations sectors, including health, education, construction, pulp, paper and forestry. I adjudicated and mediated a broad spectrum of issues including the acquisition and termination of bargaining rights, unfair labour practices, issues with respect to strikes and picketing, as well as appeals of collective agreement arbitration awards.

My Background as a

Labour Lawyer

Most recently, I served as General Counsel and senior legal officer to the BCGEU, one of BC’s largest trade unions. In that capacity, I advised senior leadership on all legal issues, from labour and pensions to corporate restructuring, construction and real estate development issues.

I also acted as employer counsel to the BCGEU, an employer of over 300 unionized workers.

As General Counsel, I was the senior legal officer for the BCGEU leading all appeals and major litigation, including:

  • two appearances as intervenor counsel at the Supreme Court of Canada;
  • lead counsel before the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls: Final Report, issued June 3, 2019; and
  • lead counsel before the Cullen Commission into Money Laundering in British Columbia: Final Report issued June 15, 2022.

Prior to 2013, I practiced at two leading labour law firms, representing clients in all manner of labour relations sectors, including health, education, construction, forestry, pulp and paper.

In the Community

Volunteering and Mentorship

Active in both the legal profession and the community at large, I have served in a number of volunteer capacities, including:

  • the Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s National Legal Reform Subcommittee;
  • a member of the Canadian Bar Association’s National Justice Issues Subcommittee;
  • an Executive on the Canadian Bar Association’s (BC) Labour and Pensions sections; and
  • board member and Director of Diving for the Coquitlam Sharks Aquatic Club.

That said, I am most proud of my mentorship work over the past several years. It has been my privilege to play a small part in the development of many racialized and queer lawyers into leaders in the labour bar.