Book Review: Negotiating So Everyone Wins by David C. Dingwall

 David Dingwall. David Dingwall is a lawyer and former Member of Parliament who represented the riding of Cape Breton East Richmond for 17 years between 1979 and 1997. For a time, Dingwall was the most powerful and influential minister from Atlantic Canada in the Chrétien Liberal government of the 1990s. As Minister

Working Together Towards Equality

 The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) comprises working men and women from a variety of fields. From education to health care to social services, OPSEU represents about 130,000 workers across Ontario. One of the many causes OPSEU fights for is gender equality, an important issue for so many of

Defending workers’ rights while advocating for a new approach

 How do we determine value in Ontario? This question typically drives the development of economic policy, but in today’s Ontario, it also frames labour relations. If one were to listen to some politicians, lobby groups and thinktanks, one would assume that workers in this province were overpaid, underworked and slacking

The IBEW Has Spent 120 Years Building a Better Canada

 Photo courtesy of IBEW Canada  When it comes to unions, there are few who can boast a longer presence in Canada than the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The IBEW has been around since 1899. Today, it represents 67,000 members working in construction, utility, manufacturing, government, telecommunications and railroad

Public Service Week: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

 Twenty-two years ago, then-MP Marlene Catterall introduced a private member’s bill recognizing the third week of June as National Public Service Week, a week to celebrate the work and achievements of the people who make up the Public Service of Canada. The bill was the idea of the Professional Institute

To Fix Temporary Foreign Worker Program, Look to Solutions in Canada’s Unionized Meat Industry

 As the National President of Canada’s largest food workers’ union, I am disappointed by the Harper government’s lack of leadership in fixing the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP). Quite simply, the TFWP is broken, and the latest announcement by Minister Kenney – regarding minor adjustments to the number of TFWs

Citizens and Parliament Must be Consulted on Election Rules

 The Harper Government’s Bill C-23, Fair Elections Act is currently before the House of Commons, and it should come as no surprise that the Conservatives are using the bill to manipulate the rules that govern how Canadians vote. After all, the Harper Government has been at odds with Elections Canada

Employment Contracts Should be Carefully Drafted and Periodically Reviewed

 by emond harnden LLP Regardless of whether the terms and conditions applicable to an employee have been spelled out in a formal written contract, every employment relationship is, in fact, governed by an employment contract. It is formed at the point when the employee accepts a job offer and some