Practice Area: Labour Relations

Ryan Markesic

Ryan Markesic is a labour and employment lawyer practising out of Hicks Morley’s Toronto office in all areas of workplace law and in civil litigation. Ryan has assisted in arbitrations, tribunals and matters before all levels of courts including the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal. He has a particular interest and experience in advising and representing colleges and universities on a variety of issues.

Arbitrator Kaplan Clarifies Earlier Interest Arbitration Awards

· 3 min read

On May 29, 2024, a board of arbitration (Board) chaired by Arbitrator William Kaplan issued its decisions on two interest arbitration cases in the school board sector which addressed outstanding compensation issues between the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), the Crown, and the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) in respect of secondary school…

Successfully argued that, in meeting its obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and collective agreement provisions regarding health and safety, the employer (paramedic service) was correct in exercising its management rights to determine the appropriate safety equipment to be utilized.

Successfully argued that, in meeting its obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and collective agreement provisions regarding health and safety, the employer (paramedic service) was correct in exercising its management rights to determine the appropriate safety equipment to be utilized.

Successfully argued to uphold the termination of a firefighter for serious misconduct related to pornography in the workplace by establishing that, notwithstanding expert evidence to establish that the grievor suffered from a disability, there was no clear connection between the disability and the workplace misconduct sufficient to overturn the termination of employment.

Successfully argued to uphold the termination of a firefighter for serious misconduct related to pornography in the workplace by establishing that, notwithstanding expert evidence to establish that the grievor suffered from a disability, there was no clear connection between the disability and the workplace misconduct sufficient to overturn the termination of employment.

We Welcome Knowledge Management Lawyer Owais Hashmi to Hicks Morley

Hicks Morley is pleased to announce that Owais Hashmi has joined the firm as a knowledge management lawyer in our Toronto office. In this role, Owais will work alongside our client services team to enhance client experiences by leveraging the firm’s legal technology and strategic insights to improve the efficiency and delivery of our legal services.

Owais Hashmi

Owais specializes in leveraging knowledge management tools to enhance client experiences and optimize legal service delivery. Through his diligent monitoring of current and emerging legal trends, he bolsters the firm’s subject-matter expertise in Canadian labour and employment law, benefiting both lawyers and clients alike.

Supreme Court of Canada Addresses Workplace Privacy Rights in Ontario Schools

· 5 min read

On June 21, 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its decision in York Region District School Board v. Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario. The decision establishes that Ontario school boards are “government”—and thus subject to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter)—and provides guidance on how alleged breaches of an employee’s Charter-based right…