In our January 12, 2010 School Board Client Update, we discussed the Early Learning Program (ELP), which is the governments plan to implement full day early learning for four- and five-year-olds in Ontario. On February 17, 2010, the government introduced Bill 242, the Full-Day Early Learning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2010, which amends provisions of…
Insights
Hicks Morley publishes a number of materials, both electronic and print, on issue-specific and sector-specific topics of interest to our clients. Our insights section has links to all of our various publications, updates and blogs, both current and historical, to keep you informed of developments in the law that impact human resources.
FTR Now
Supreme Court of Canada Dismisses Negligence Action in Case Involving Miners Killed During Bitter Strike
In Fullowka v. Pinkerton’s of Canada Ltd., 2010 SCC 5, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed an appeal by survivors of miners killed in a 1992 explosion at Giant Mine (NWT) owned by Royal Oaks. They claimed damages against the security company Royal Oaks had hired to protect the miners and against the territorial government…
FTR Now
CPP Deductions on Disability Payments: New Guidance from the Federal Court of Appeal
On January 28, 2010, the Federal Court of Appeal rendered its decision in Toronto Transit Commission v. Minister of National Revenue (“TTC”), which will be of interest to employers who provide long term disability (“LTD”) benefits to their employees through self-funded or administrative services only (“ASO”) arrangements. According to the Court’s decision in TTC, Canada…
FTR Now
New Background Check Policies Squeezing Employers
Late last year, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (“RCMP”) issued a directive to agencies that facilitate national criminal background checks. The directive outlines significant changes to the process governing the dissemination of criminal record information, and the process by which such agencies may conduct name-based criminal record verifications. In this FTR Now, we discuss these…
School Board Update
School Board Update – Ontario’s 2010 Early Learning Program: Bracing for the Fallout
When was the last time your Board was involved in the legal “ins and outs” of a hotly contested certification drive before the Ontario Labour Relations Board? Ontario’s newly announced Early Learning Program could well provide you with an opportunity in the coming year. In this School Board Update, we discuss the ramifications and new…
FTR Now
Extending Access To Information Obligations To Ontario Hospitals: What Would It Mean?
In late October of last year, the Ontario Hospital Association asked the provincial government to extend coverage of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) to hospitals as a means of promoting transparency and public accountability. This bulletin outlines the basic features of Ontarios access to information regime and raises questions about…
FTR Now
Municipalities Exposed To Construction Collective Agreements
In a recent decision, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) held that key non-construction employer provisions of the Ontario Labour Relations Act, 1995 (the Act) were unconstitutional. In this FTR Now, we discuss how the decision could have an impact on the ability of municipalities to tender construction work. BACKGROUND The construction industry labour relations…
FTR Now
Ontario Introduces Draft Pension Reform Legislation
INTRODUCTION Following on the heels of the Report of the Ontario Expert Commission on Pensions (“OECP”), the Ontario Government released draft pension reform legislation on December 9, 2009. Bill 236, Pension Benefits Amendment Act, 2009 (“Bill 236”) marks the beginning of what the Government is calling a multi-stage pension reform process to modernize Ontarios pension…
School Board Update
School Boards Exposed To Construction Collective Agreements
In a recent decision, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (“OLRB”) held that key non-construction employer provisions of the Ontario Labour Relations Act, 1995 (the “Act”) were unconstitutional. In this FTR Now, we discuss how the decision could have an impact on school boards’ ability to tender construction work. Background The construction industry labour relations regime…
FTR Now
Ontario Releases New Pension Reform Legislation
Following swiftly on the heels of the Report of the Expert Commission on Pensions, the Ontario Government released draft pension reform legislation on December 9, 2009. The draft legislation marks the beginning of what the Government is calling a multi-stage pension reform process to modernize Ontario’s pension system. The legislation covers an array of issues,…