Alison Dewar

Professional Activities and Organizations

Law Society of Upper Canada
Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers
Carleton County Law Association
National Association of Women and the Law (member, National Steering Committee)

Alison represents federal and provincial unions in a wide range of matters, providing advice and representation in human rights, pay equity, interpretation of collective agreements, discipline, and Charter issues. Alison also provides individual clients with advice on a wide range of issues affecting their employment. Alison regularly appears before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, Public Service Labour Relations Board, private arbitrators, and provincial and federal labour boards.

Before deciding to pursue a career in law, Alison was a university professor at the University of British Columbia in the School of Human Kinetics and Faculty of Education Teacher Education Program. She was also an affiliate of the Centre for Research in Women’s Studies and Gender Relations. Alison maintains an interest in sport and education and has given classes to students at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.

Cases Alison has worked on include:

Bayers (Re) (2008), CIRB Decision No. 416 [duty of fair representation complaint]
Comstock v. Canada (Treasury Board), 2008 FCA 197 [payment of union dues by employee who opposes union policy supporting same sex marriage and equality rights for gays and lesbians on grounds that policies are contrary to her catholic faith]
B.C. Workers Compensation Appeal Tribunal, Decision No. 2008-00104, 2008 CanLII 9100 [appeal of permanent partial disability award for post traumatic stress disorder]
B.C. Workers Compensation Appeal Tribunal, Decision No. 2007-01476 [appeal of permanent partial disability award for post traumatic stress disorder]
Currie et al v. Canada Revenue Agency, 2008 PSLRB 69 [work description grievances]
Desormeaux v. Ottawa (City) (2005), 54 C.H.R.R. 462; 2005 FCA 311 [employer's duty to accommodate absenteeism due to disability (migraine headaches); medical evidence of family doctor sufficient to prove prima facie case]
Bredin v. Canada (Attorney General), 2007 FC 1361 [judicial review of CHRC's refusal to exercise its discretion to accept a complaint filed outside the one-year time limit]
Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation v. Public Service Alliance of Canada (Local 70396) (2006), 294 F.T.R. 104; 2006 FC 704 [judicial review of CHRT's refusal to strike portions of the union's pay equity complaint]
Mellon v. Canada (Human Resources Canada), 2006 CHRT 3 [employer's duty to accommodate disability (panic attacks and anxiety) of a term employee working in the federal public service]
Bell Canada v. Young, 2005 CanLII 27523 (Ont. S.C.J.) [injunction regarding the scope the right to picket]