ROB HYNDMAN

Close to two decades of complex political and labour relations experience

Rob is a Canada Disability Lawyers Union specialist. He welcomes contact from both Union Members who have been denied long-term disability and Union Representatives who would like assistance with representing their members in regard to disability litigation and getting their long-term disability benefits back on track.

Rob Hyndman, as lead labour specialist, has close to two decades of complex political and labour relations experience.  Mr. Hyndman is a twenty-two year veteran of the Greater Sudbury Fire Service where he currently holds the rank of Captain and during that time held many roles at the local, provincial and national levels of the International Association of Firefighters. Beginning his union career with the Sudbury Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 527, he ushered in a new area of efficiency that very quickly rocketed him to be acclaimed as the president of the Ontario Professional Firefighters Association, representing over 11,000 professional firefighters and their families in our nation’s largest province. Over his two terms as OPFFA President Mr. Hyndman successfully lobbied the Ontario provincial government on a multitude of legislative and regulatory victories including the introduction of new presumptive legislation for firefighters dealing with occupational cancer as well as enhanced treatment options for firefighters dealing with occupational stress injuries through the province’s worker’s compensation board, WSIB. At the international level Mr. Hyndman maintained the role of IAFF Service Field Representative where he specialized in advocating for firefighter collective agreements in the Interest Arbitration arena.  After a successful lobby campaign to have the Ontario government institute regulatory change to modernize the firefighter profession, Mr. Hyndman was appointed by the International Association of Firefighters to sit on the National Fire Protection Association 1710 standard committee, responsible for determining industry best practice on emergency response at the global level.  Mr. Hyndman also sat as a sponsor for the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, one of the world’s largest pension plans, and has sat on various governmental technical tables on topics ranging from emergency response public reporting to Public Safety Personnel mental health.

Mr. Hyndman, being a fierce advocate for union education, is a graduate of the Telfer School of Management and Harvard Law School executive leadership program as well as the Ryerson University Labour Relations program.  He advocated along with other stakeholders in law and academia to create a firefighter labour law version of the Ryerson program to further enhance union leader education in the field.  Mr. Hyndman was also a regular speaker at the International Association of Firefighters Affiliate Leadership Training Summit as well as the IAFF Redmond Health and Safety Symposium/ Human Relations Conference, two of the preeminent international firefighter union events.