Introduction Many Canadians will remember the case of Lynden Dorval, the Edmonton public school teacher, who was fired by his school board for dispensing marks of zero to students who did not do their assignments. Recently the case reached the Alberta Court of Appeal on the question of whether Mr. Dorval should be reinstated to […]
The Law of Leafleting and Picketing
January 5, 2016 By Peter Bowal and Jordan Smith
Introduction Distributing leaflets to people and picketing are longstanding forms of employee expression, commonly to protest or draw attention to employment disputes. Primary picketing is attending at a place of business or employment with an object of persuasion, usually to dissuade others from entering or doing business at that place. Secondary picketing is doing the […]
How Bad Behaviour? Employees Getting Away With . . .
November 3, 2015 By Peter Bowal and Chris Sotiropoulos
Introduction The last column discussed the need for employers to practice progressive discipline. That concept means employees should be fired – that is, summarily dismissed without notice or pay – as a last resort and only where clearly justified. In this column, we look at some decisions which demonstrate how hard it can be to […]
New Employment Law Resources for Alberta Youth
May 11, 2015 By Ryan Day
Many new Canadians are unfamiliar with the legislation that protects them in the workplace. Research indicates that immigrants with limited English speaking abilities often turn to their children to act as intermediaries to pass on information, including legal information. By developing resources for youth, the youth will learn about human rights law and then will […]
Essential Services and the Right to Strike
May 7, 2015 By Matt Gordon
On January 30, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada decided Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v Saskatchewan (“SFL”). In a 5-2 decision, the Court determined that the Public Service Essential Services Act (“PSESA”), in restricting certain public sector workers’ rights to strike, violated freedom of association rights under section 2(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights […]
