1625 Results

Simon Mortimer Quoted in Canadian Labour Reporter

Hicks Morley’s Simon Mortimer was quoted in the September 3, 2013 edition of Canadian Labour Reporter in an article entitled, “New super-union Unifor targets unlikely membership.” The article discussed Unifor, the nation’s largest private sector union, formed from the merger of the Canadian Auto Workers union and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union. The article…

Confidentiality Provisions: Important, Effective and Enforceable

In most unionized workplaces, many grievances are settled before the parties present their evidence and before an arbitrator issues a public decision. In most instances, when a grievance is settled, the terms of that settlement are recorded in written form. The parties often agree that the settlement must be kept confidential and include a confidentiality…

Regulatory Amendments Made Under Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007

On August 28, 2013, the Ontario government filed O. Reg. 246/13, amending O. Reg. 79/10 (General) made under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007 (“Act”). Among other things, O. Reg. 246/13 amends the qualification requirements for certain persons working or employed in a long-term care home prior to the day the Act and O. Reg….

John Saunders Quoted in The London Free Press

Hicks Morley’s John Saunders was quoted in the August 27, 2013 edition of The London Free Press in an article entitled, “Toronto attorney John Saunders argues during arbitration hearing that the old rules are gone and some non-core services should be outsourced.” The article discusses contract arbitration hearings regarding proposed retroactive wage hikes for the…

Financial Services Tribunal Interprets the Accrued Benefit Protections of the Pensions Benefits Act (Ontario)

On August 15, 2013, the Ontario Financial Services Tribunal (“FST”) issued its decision in Royal Ontario Museum Curatorial Association v. Ontario (Superintendent Financial Services), concerning an amendment made to The Royal Ontario Museum Pension Plan (“Plan”). The Plan is a defined benefit (“DB”) pension plan. At issue before the FST was whether an amendment to…

Alberta Court of Appeal Upholds Conviction in Calf-Roping Machine Case

In its decision Alberta v. XI Technologies Inc., the Alberta Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of XI Technologies in relation to the death of an employee who was operating a faulty calf-roping machine at an employer hosted-event, concluding that the employer failed to do all that was reasonably practicable to avoid the foreseeable risks…

Regulatory Amendments Relating to Independent Health Facilities Proposed

The Ontario government has proposed an amendment to O. Reg. 264/07 (General) made under the Local Health System Integration Act, 2006 (“LHSIA”). The proposed regulation would make independent health facilities (“IHFs”) prescribed health service providers for the purpose of the LHSIA. Subject to certain specified exceptions, an IHF is defined in the Independent Health Facilities…

John Saunders Mentioned in The Globe and Mail

Hicks Morley’s John Saunders was mentioned in the August 8, 2013 edition of The Globe and Mail in Margaret Wente’s article entitled, “A nation of $100,000 firefighters.” Highlighting municipal budgets’ contentions with fire departments, the article attributes firefighters’ high wages and substantive increases to arbitration settlements. Paraphrasing Saunders, “There’s no good reason for salaries to…

Mandatory Retirement Upheld for Suppression Fire Fighters: HRTO Clarifies Accommodation Obligations

In its recent decision, Corrigan v. Mississauga (City), the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (“HRTO”) considered whether a municipal employer had a positive obligation to consider requests for individual exceptions to the mandatory retirement policy of age 60 for suppression fire fighters and to work with those fire fighters to develop a medical fitness testing…

The Ontario Court of Appeal Confirms Pension Assignments must be “Clear and Unambiguous”

In a marriage breakdown situation where family assets are being valued and/or divided, a member’s workplace pension entitlements are often the most significant asset. To settle the property issues, a member and his or her spouse may agree that the member will assign an interest in the member’s benefit to the spouse. Unfortunately, it is…