Dayna Steinfeld Awarded the Advocates’ Society David Stockwood Memorial Prize

Dayna Steinfeld is the 2022 recipient of The David Stockwood Memorial Prize. The prize is awarded to an advocacy-related written article, judged for its merit by a panel. Dayna’s winning submission, “"Finding a Balance - Navigating the Advocacy Challenge for Union Side Labour Lawyers in Cases Involving Allegations of Member on Member Sexual Violence" examines the challenge for union-side lawyers of cross-examining a union member called as an employer witness... Read More

Federal Court Recognizes Minister’s Obligation to Investigate Health and Safety Complaints

In a recent decision, the Federal Court overturned a decision by a delegate of the Minister of Labour, which had refused to investigate the health and safety complaint of a Canada Border Service Agency employee. The employee had filed a complaint with the Minister under the Canada Labour Code when CBSA had refused to appoint an impartial investigator to investigate his harassment concerns. CBSA had taken the position that it... Read More

RavenLaw Presents at Labour Law Conference

During the week of June 20, 2022, RavenLaw presented as part of multiple panels during the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers’ annual conference. On June 24, 2022, Sean McGee presented as part of a panel exploring the opportunities and challenges of remote work post-COVID. In the afternoon, Wassim Garzouzi moderated a panel with two guest speakers from the United States, which discussed unionizing workplaces like Amazon and the need to... Read More

Constructive Dismissal In Ontario: What You Need To Know

[The information on this page applies only to non-unionized employees in Ontario, working in provincially regulated industries. It is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice, which cannot be given without consideration of your individual circumstances.] What is constructive dismissal? Constructive dismissal is when your employer has not formally terminated your employment, but has seriously changed or breached the terms of your employment contract, to the point that... Read More

Employer’s bad faith conduct may invalidate termination clause in employment contract

By Amanda Montague-Reinholdt If your employment has been terminated without cause, one of the first questions an employment lawyer will ask you is whether you have a written employment contract. If you do, the employment lawyer will review it to determine if the contract sets out your entitlements when your employment is terminated without cause. Many employment contracts state that employees will only receive the minimum notice and severance entitlements... Read More

Dayna Steinfeld to Present on Tips for Mediations, Informal Proceedings in Labour and Employment Law

On May 9, 2022, Dayna Steinfeld will be presenting on a panel hosted by the Manitoba Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution, Labour & Employment Law, and Legal Research sections. Dayna will discuss legal research and practice tips for mediations and informal proceedings in labour and employment law. For more information or to register for this lunch-hour session, please visit the MBA website. Read More

Alison McEwen to Present on Hybrid Work Arrangements

On June 2, 2022, Alison McEwen will present as a speaker during the Law Society of Ontario’s Eight-Minute Employment Lawyer. Alison will be discussing the use of hybrid work arrangements since COVID, particularly in situations involving the duty to accommodate. For more information on this upcoming presentation or to register, please visit the event website. Read More

RavenLaw Hosts Lunch ‘N’ Learn for Union Representatives

Join Wassim Garzouzi, Jessica Greenwood, and Dayna Steinfeld on June 20, 2022 from 12:00 – 1:00 EDT for a virtual discussion on the Supreme Court’s decision in Northern Regional Health Authority v Horrocks. Wassim, Jessica, and Dayna will review the decision, the potential patchwork results of the decision across the country, and will answer audience questions about how the decision will impact union representatives. Topics will include: What is the... Read More

RavenLaw Welcomes New Partners!

RavenLaw is pleased to welcome Michael Fisher, Raphaëlle Laframboise-Carignan, Amanda Montague-Reinholdt, and Morgan Rowe into the partnership, effective January 1, 2022. Michael, Raphaëlle, Amanda and Morgan have worked with RavenLaw for many years and have made significant contributions to the firm. We thank them for their important work in advancing union and worker rights, and congratulate them on becoming partners. Read More

Ontario Divisional Court Directs WSIAT to Grant Benefits

In a significant victory, the Ontario Divisional Court recently set aside a Workplace Safety Insurance Appeals Tribunal (“WSIAT”) decision and directed the WSIAT to grant benefits to the injured worker. The Worker was injured on the job and, as a result, was no longer able to work. However, he was denied benefits by the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (“WSIB”) and the WSIAT because he waited several weeks after the accident before... Read More