First Queen's PhD in labour law grad a great fit for academia in post-Brexit U.K.
July 26, 2018
When Manoj Dias-Abey chose to pursue his doctoral studies in labour law at Queen’s back in 2012, it was for two big opportunities: to join the Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace (CLCW) and work with professors Kevin Banks and Bernie Adell – “excellent and internationally renowned scholars in the field.”
Before long, Dias-Abey had proven his rationale was accurate. “Being based at a research centre brings with it all sorts of advantages – being surrounded by a critical mass of scholars interested in similar issues, the opportunity to participate in collaborative research activities, and the resources to organize projects such as symposia and conferences.”
Dias-Abey’s doctoral experience at Queen’s taught him the skills and habits of mind to be a scholar. In writing his dissertation, Sandcastles of Hope: Civil Society Organizations and the Working Conditions of Migrant Farmworkers in North America, he learned how to manage a large research project and produce writing that could make a contribution to the literature. He did just that as a postdoctoral fellow with the CLCW following convocation in June 2016, when he became the first doctoral graduate in labour law from Queen’s. His publications include “Justice on our fields: Can ‘alt-labor’ organizations improve migrant farm workers’ conditions” in the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review and “The promise of utilizing civil society to achieve citizenship for migrant farm workers in Canada” in the peer-reviewed Mondi Migranti.
Queen’s also gave Dias-Abey some invaluable teaching experiences. He was a teaching assistant to Dean Bill Flanagan on two separate occasions for the Business Associations course. During his postdoctoral fellowship, he taught International Labour Law to a JD cohort, and designed and taught an online Workplace Law course as a part of the Certificate in Law program for undergraduate students.
“My experience teaching International Labour Law was a particular highlight because I had the privilege of teaching a small and engaged group of students who were keen to learn and think critically about work and its regulation from an international perspective,” he says. “I feel both the research and teaching experience I obtained while at Queen’s were instrumental in me getting my first academic position.”
On July 1, he moved to the U.K. to start his new appointment as Lecturer at the University of Bristol Law School. It’s a perfect fit for him as the school just launched the Centre for Law at Work, which brings together over 20 scholars interested in issues relating to work and the law.
“The research culture in the U.K. is vibrant and dynamic and I am looking forward to being a part of it,” says Dias-Abey. “I want to continue with my research on new labour organizations in the agricultural sector and expand my analysis to incorporate the U.K. and Europe.
“I have recently opened up a new, related line of inquiry on the law and political economy of labour migration and I also want to pursue that further in the next little while,” he continues. “This will be a very salient issue in the post-Brexit context.” According to Dias-Abey, it is likely that migration from the European continent will be reduced if the U.K. leaves the European Union. “The U.K. will then have to develop new channels to obtain workers to satisfy both real and contrived labour shortages – likely through an increase in permanent migration from elsewhere and the development of temporary migrant worker programs.”
An Incredible batch of mooters
March 2, 2018
An incredible batch of mooters -- and amazing judges from Hicks Morley -- made our second round of the moot an amazing experience on Wednesday. Congratulations to all participants, and particularly to our winners -- Katrina Dods and Tanya Gill -- who will be advancing to the finals in Toronto in a few weeks!
Queen's Law reserves the Hicks Morley moot for first-year students every year, ensuring that students get valuable mooting experiences right out of the gate. If we were competitive, we'd say it also shows other law schools that our 1Ls can give their 2Ls a run for their money. But we're just here to make friends.
International expert in labour law and dispute resolution arrives at Queen's
February 20, 2018
After serving on the European Union’s Court of Justice as a référendaire for 18 months, Professor Samuel Dahan flew from Luxembourg to Kingston in January, beginning his faculty appointment at Queen’s Law.
The latest Queen’s National Scholar brings a wealth of experience to his new position in academia. He has been an advisor to the European Commission’s Directorate General for Financial Affairs, has consulted for the European Commission, the OECD, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and private corporations, and has clerked for the Conseil d’Etat (French Administrative Supreme Court). In addition, he has taught law and negotiation at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Cornell Law School, the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), ESSEC Business School and Ecole Normale Supérieure. He holds a PhD in Law from the University of Cambridge, graduate degrees from the University of Paris 1 Sorbonne and the University of Brussels, and an LLB from the University of Nice. His research interests include law and technology (AI, machine learning applied to law), dispute resolution (negotiation, mediation and arbitration), labour law and employment law, and European Union law (competition and finance).
One month into his new role, Professor Dahan talked to Queen’s Law Reports about his most recent professional experience, his new role with the Queen’s Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace (CLCW) and his current research.
QLR: What did you do as a Référendaire at the Court of Justice of the European Union, and what did you find particularly interesting about this work?
Dahan: Working as a cabinet member for a President Chamber at the Court of Justice of the European Union was a fascinating experience for many reasons. Drafting judgments for the highest judicial body in the European Union is both exciting and intimidating. As you may imagine, the kinds of legal questions are very diverse and the stakes can be very high. For instance, as a référendaire (legal secretary) for the French Chamber president of the Court of Justice of European Union I was the rapporteur in several high-profile competition and labour law cases. This included the Laboratoires Servier case, the largest case to date concerning patent settlement agreements in the pharmaceutical sector, which concerned both an abuse of dominant position and reverse payments, and resulted in a nearly 500 million euro fine.
I must add that being a référendaire is even more exciting given the fact that the political hurdles the EU has undergone over the last few years (including, but not limited to, Brexit). The Court has played a significant role as a lawmaker in important cases, notably in the fields of state aid, cartels, internal markets and social policy. This makes the référendaire job very enriching, but the stakes and sensitivity of the cases sometimes add several layers of complexity. Happily, I believe the Court is well equipped to tackle these issues.
In terms of the functioning of the institution, judges appoint their own team of référendaires, resulting in a wide variety of degrees of experience among them. It’s a bit similar to the clerkship process, but different in that being a référendaire can be a career position.
The job can be very academic insofar as it is about finding optimal solutions from a purely legal perspective. It’s quite different from private practice, in which the lawyer’s job is often to defend the client’s interests at any cost.
Finally, I very much enjoyed the multicultural dimension of the cases and the institution itself. The working language of the Court is French, which can make the functioning of the institution especially interesting, considering that most judges are not native French speakers.
QLR: What do you look forward to most about working with the Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace?
Dahan: As a member of the CLCW, I am looking forward to collaborating with Professor Kevin Banks on the development of a new organization, the Conflict Analytics Lab (CAL), which will constitute a consortium of experts on the intersection of dispute resolution and technology. We are going to gather experts from leading universities (Queen’s, Cornell, Harvard, and Cambridge), as well as the public and private sectors (the European Court of Justice, several European competition authorities and members of the judiciary) to reflect on new artificial intelligence instruments for dispute resolution specialists. We also aim to develop new predictive justice models that organizations can apply to conflict resolution. Finally, I am hoping to develop new courses on technology and dispute resolution, as well as a new clinic on Alternative Dispute Resolution and technology.
QLR: Tell us about your current research projects.
Dahan: My research draws on the application of advanced machine learning and AI software to law. Thanks to significant developments in technology, we are able to process wide pools of data, such as how much compensation an employee may receive for unfair dismissal, or how likely competition law judges are to confirm regulatory agency fines. (European Commission, Competition Law Tribunal and FTC). Our aim is to construct our own database and develop new big-data algorithms, able to process a large amount of data in a very short time, allowing us to explore the best alternative to a negotiated agreement (“BATNA”) for the involved parties. The general idea is to evaluate whether is worth litigating through a thorough evaluation of alternatives before the judge. For instance, is it worthwhile for Apple to appeal their thirteen-billion euro fine before the CJEU?
Another interesting project we are working on is something we are calling an “organizational conflict index.” This may be our most ambitious and most complex project, and probably also the most sensitive. Based on a carefully selected subset of data – such as the number of claims brought against an organization, the number of dismissals and the number of resignations – we hope to measure whether organizations are more averse or more prone to conflict, as well as how they address conflicts in the workplace.
QLR: How would you describe your experience so far at Queen’s Law?
Dahan: This term, I am teaching employment law, and I’m already preparing for the ADR class next semester. Being at Queen’s has been a terrific experience so far. I have just spent nearly two years in Luxembourg, waiting to join my colleagues in Kingston while fulfilling my commitment to the Court. I am honoured and delighted to finally be here at Queen’s, and I am looking forward to continuing to engage with my students while pursuing further collaborations with my colleagues.
Queen's Senior Fellow Recognized for Advancing Women's Equality
March 23, 2016
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“Elizabeth Shilton is an enduring feminist … Her work is driven by her passion for advancing equality and equity for women, girls and marginalized people.” That’s how the YWCA Toronto describes Shilton, Senior Fellow with the Queen’s Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace (CLCW). The YWCA Toronto has named her its Law and Justice honoree among its Women of Distinction for 2016.
Among her many accomplishments cited by the organization, she has “fought tough cases during the early days of the Women’s Legal Education Action Fund (LEAF); argued before the Supreme Court to uphold the rape shield law; won a pay equity ruling worth many millions of dollars for low-paid women elementary teachers; defended the right of sexual assault survivors to keep their names out of the public eye; and fought to prevent the disclosure of counselling records of sexual abuse survivors.”
Before she became an academic and joined the CLCW, Shilton practised for many years as a union-side labour lawyer and co-founded the firm Cavalluzzo Shilton McIntyre Cornish LLP. “Equality issues were very much part of that practice from the outset,” she says. “Among my clients were unions working in what were then considered ‘women’s professions,’ such as teaching. In those professions, collective bargaining issues overlapped frequently with issues of gender discrimination. It quickly became clear that economic security for women was very intimately tied to equality issues.”
After leaving private practice, Shilton completed a doctoral degree and then joined the CLCW in 2010. She is also an adjunct professor at Queen’s Law, where she teaches Advanced Labour Law, focusing on human rights in the unionized workplace.
Her own legal education – an LLM from Harvard and an SJD from the University of Toronto – highlighted the importance of getting real world experience while in school. “I worked on my first discrimination case while I was a law student, and learned an enormous amount about the ‘nuts and bolts,’ like how courts and tribunals work, how to gather and prepare evidence,” she says. “I also learned how to deal with losing – an important lesson for social justice lawyers.”
Her current research interests at the CLCW focus on domestic and comparative employment pension policy and related issues of economic security. “Equality issues are very much at the core of law in the contemporary workplace. The Centre has been a very congenial place for me to pursue my research interests in retirement income policy and its intersection with equality issues, as well as organizing conferences and workshops on human rights issues.”
For Shilton, who has also rejoined LEAF and is participating in the Prince Edward Island reproductive rights challenge, law has always been indispensable in pursuing social change. “Law is a critically important tool in the on-going struggle for social justice both nationally and internationally,” she says. On May 26 in Toronto, she will receive her award at the 36th annual Women of Distinction Gala.
Queen's is 'Ahead of the Curve' in International Labour and Employment Law
April 27, 2016
In an increasingly globalized economy, Canada’s domestically oriented labour and employment laws must now adapt to novel circumstances. This topic is a top research priority for the Queen’s Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace.
“The Centre is ahead of the curve on internationalization,” says Hugh Christie, Law’81, co-chair of the CLCW’s advisory board and managing partner of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart’s new Canadian operations. “It started out as a project to re-vitalize the practice of labour and employment law, both in the academy and in private practice. It is doing just that. But in the process, through strong recruitment and visiting international scholars, it has changed the way the area of law is perceived.”
The CLCW, he explains, aims to examine the role of Canadian labour relations and minimum standards laws in helping (or hindering) workplaces in their adaptation to global economic integration, and the role of international and transnational law in protecting fundamental rights at work.
According to Christie, “Canada has a good story to tell about the public policy choices we have made around laws governing the workplace. We have a far less adversarial, and therefore less expensive, system of resolving workplace disputes than many countries, and it is exciting to get that message out to the world.
“The workforce is increasingly mobile, world-wide,” he adds. “Whether it is Canadian companies with operations abroad, or international employers with operations in Canada, borders are becoming less important than they once were, though the law is by and large still a local set of rules.” There is a current trend for international law firms to come to Canada to provide legal services to these businesses that are navigating multi-national operations.
As one example, the international labour and employment law firm Ogletree Deakins, which has 49 offices across the U.S., Europe and Mexico, entered the Canadian market in January by opening its first office in Toronto. For Christie, who had previously been part of a large full-service firm, joining Ogletree Deakins was the right move at the right time. Being part of a firm with the singular focus on labour and employment law, he points out, minimizes potential conflicts of interest that can arise in firms that have previously acted for both parties.
Additionally, given the large number of American clients with operations in Canada that need cross-border representation, a firm that can represent a client’s interests in all the jurisdictions in which it operates is a boon to businesses. For Christie, “To add our network of Canadian clients to Ogletree’s worldwide human resources contacts and expertise and to provide useful employment law advice wherever decision-makers are in the world is truly exciting.”
Queen's hosts symposium on 20th anniversary of Landmark Supreme Court ruling
October 19, 2015
The Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace (CLCW) at Queen’s is tackling a Supreme Court of Canada decision that has spawned two decades of controversy about the role of labour arbitration in adjudicating workplace disputes involving unionized employees. On Oct. 30–31, the CLCW is presenting the “One Law for All:” Has Weber v. Ontario Hydro Transformed Collective Agreement Administration and Arbitration in Canada?”
“Weber v. Ontario Hydro is one of the most influential but also one of the most baffling decisions ever issued by the Supreme Court of Canada in the field of labour arbitration,” says Elizabeth Shilton, CLCW Senior Fellow and symposium organizer.
Now is time to explore the case more deeply, she explains. “Prior to this decision, virtually all labour lawyers would have advised their client to take claims like Weber's to court rather than to arbitration. In Weber, the Court held that it had no jurisdiction over the dispute because it arose ‘in its essential character’ from the collective agreement and, therefore, belonged within the exclusive jurisdiction of a labour arbitrator.”
Ever since, labour practitioners, courts and arbitrators have been trying to figure out where the jurisdictional lines should be drawn. Scholars and practitioners have argued over whether the decision has been primarily helpful or harmful. Some have claimed that it raises barriers to access to justice, and question whether arbitrators had the capacity to deal with the plethora of new issues that were typically dealt with through the courts.
The event will address the key issues that have been identified since 1995 and offer a diverse range of perspectives and approaches to the problems raised by Weber. Academics, practitioners, arbitrators and government policy-makers will identify practical questions and challenges and the insight gained from this symposium will form the basis for deeper scholarship.
The symposium, being held at the Donald Gordon Conference Centre in Kingston, is open to a maximum of 30 attendees. The limited number is intended to deepen the dialogue and encourage participants and registrants to share their experience and expertise more frankly.
“One Law for All” commemorates the work of the late professor Bernard “Bernie” Adell, a major figure in academic labour law in Canada and internationally who wrote often on issues concerning labour arbitration and post-Weber issues. Adell joined Queen’s Law in 1964, served as dean (1977–1982) and was a long-time faculty advisor to the Queen’s Law Journal. He was also a mediator, arbitrator, editor of the Canadian Labour and Employment Law Journal, and conducted numerous studies for government commissions and international organizations.
Papers from the symposium will be published by Irwin Law in a volume dedicated to Bernie Adell.
Hicks Morley Labour Law Moot Announcement
March 2, 2015
On Monday, the Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace and Queen’s Labour and Employment Club hosted the annual Hicks Morley Labour Law Moot. This year, lawyers from Hicks Morley offices in Toronto, Ottawa and Kingston came to judge and were blown away by the advocacy skills and persuasive arguments shown by the talented 16 first-year student teams who participated:
The final round saw counsel for the Applicant, Adrienne Oake and Max Xiao, against Respondent counsel Cameron Rempel and Graham Buitenhuis. Both teams were thrown difficult questions but handled them with poise and grace. In the end, the judges awarded first place to Cameron and Graham! Congratulations to all mooters on a job well done! The judges were impressed with the level of preparation displayed by all teams, especially considering the short time the mooters had to construct their arguments. They showed a deep knowledge of both constitutional and labour law--an impressive feat this early in their legal careers.
On March 27th, Graham and Cameron will travel to Toronto where they will compete against 5 other Ontario law schools for the Hicks Cup. Queen's Law has won the Cup in 3 of the past 5 years, and came in second place in the fourth year. This is an especially noteworthy accomplishment as Queen's is the only school that limits participation to first year students.
Queen's Outstanding Performance at Matthew Dinsdale National Arbitration Moot Competition
February 5, 2015
The Queen’s Labour Moot team did an outstanding job representing Queen’s University at last weekend's Mathews Dinsdale National Labour Arbitration Moot competition. Alas, competition was fierce and the University of Toronto took the cup this year. Adam James and Lukas Riley were the oralists for the Queen’s team this year. They were hardworking throughout the preparation for the moot and were outstanding at the competition, particularly on Saturday morning when they faced the B.C. team, who were last year’s winners. The tripartite panel, chaired by Arbitrator Paula Knopf, grilled both sides aggressively. Adam and Lukas rose to the occasion confidently and effectively. Jessica Toldo provided excellent research support, and Swarna Perinparajah and Jessica Liu who were on last year’s Labour Moot team, returned as student coaches this year. Labour law in Canada will enjoy a robust future if Adam, Lukas, Jessica, Jess, and Swarna are an indication of the quality of lawyer entering this area of practice!
The Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace and the team would like to thank Carol Mackillop of Mackillop Law Professional Corporation for acting as Coach for this year's team. We would like to extend its gratitude to Melissa Seal (Templeman, Menninga), Peggy Smith (Peggy E. Smith Law Offices), Professor Don Carter, Vince Panetta (Hicks Morley), Susan Nicholson (Director, Legal Services and City Solicitor for the City of Kingston) and to John Crouchman (counsel, mediator and arbitrator) who provided valuable feedback to the team as they prepared.
Flags Lowered in Memory of Former Law Dean
July 25, 2014
Flags on campus are lowered in memory of Professor Emeritus Bernard "Bernie" Adell, a former dean of the Faculty of Law and an internationally recognized scholar in the employment and labour law field.
Dr. Adell joined Queen’s Faculty of Law in 1964. He served as associate dean of the faculty from 1969–1971 and as dean from 1977–1982. He was appointed an emeritus professor in 2004.
During his career, Dr. Adell published extensively and developed and delivered a wide range of courses around employment and labour law. From 2005 to 2009, Dr. Adell was academic director of the Professional Development LLM Program in Labour and Employment Law at Osgoode Hall Law School. In 2010, he co-ordinated a master’s course in comparative labour law, taught by several leading British and European labour law scholars, at the Bader International Studies Centre in England. More recently, he was closely involved in the planning and launching of the Queen’s Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace.
He conducted numerous studies for government commissions and international organizations and had many years of experience as a labour arbitrator and mediator. He was the Canadian Industrial Relations Association’s H.D. Woods Memorial Lecturer in 1996, and he was one of the principal researchers in a nation-wide study on strikes and lockouts in essential services. Dr. Adell was editor of the Canadian Labour and Employment Law Journal and a long-time faculty advisor to the Queen’s Law Journal.
A memorial service and reception to honour Dr. Adell and his legacy will be held on Saturday, September 13 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm in Grant Hall on the Queen's campus.
Discussion Session with Stephen Shamie
October 24, 2014
Steve Shamie, Managing Partner of Hicks Moley LLP held an informal discussion session with interested Labour & Employment Club members. Steve spoke about his career path from University instructor to managing partner of one of Canada's top management-side firms, what it is like to practice labour and employment law in Ontario, and gave students insight into the bargaining of the CFL's latest collective agreement to give a current and real-world example of labour law in action. This was the third year the Club hosts this discussion in conjunction with the CLCW, which was useful for anyone hoping to practice labour & employment law or wanting to learn more about this area. The Session was held on Friday, October 24th in Macdonald Hall and gave students a unique opportunity to ask questions and discuss labour and employment law an informal environment. We thank Steve for joining us and hope to continue this in future years.
Annual Careers Panel for Students
October 17, 2014
The Queen’s Labour and Employment Law Club, in conjunction with the Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace, was proud to present their annual Workplace Law Career Panel. This event brought together labour and employment practitioners from government and both management-side and union-side firms to share their experience and field student's questions. This year’s panel event was held on Friday, October 17th from 3:00-5:00pm in the Law Lounge. Our guests included:
• Fiona Campbell, Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP
• Alexa Sulzenko, Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP
• Katherine Ferreira, Koskie Minsky LLP
• Sundeed Gokhale, Sherrard Kuzz LLP
• Colin Youngman, Hicks Morley Stewart Storie LLP
• Anne Clark-McMunagle, Public Service Labour Relations Board
Queen’s Law Developing Mentorship Program to Pair Law Students with Labour & Employment Law Experts
August 5, 2014
The Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace is currently developing a mentorship program to pair students interested in careers in labour and employment law with some of the most well-respected lawyers in the country. The program will launch in the Fall of 2014 for Upper year students and Winter 2015 for First year students. For more information, or to participate in this program contact Centre Associate Director, Trish Appleyard.
Report on the Changing Role of Labour Relations Boards in Canada Now Available
April 1, 2014
Centre researchers Elizabeth Shilton and Kevin Banks have now completed their preliminary report, The Changing Role of Labour Relations Boards in Canada: Key Research Questions for the 21st Century. The research for this report was funded by a grant from Queen's University's Senate Advisory Research Committee (SARC). You can click on the report here (PDF, 628KB). We welcome your feedback. If you are interested in getting involved in the follow-up research discussed in the report, please contact Kevin Banks or Elizabeth Shilton.
Queen’s Brings Home the Hicks Cup for the Third Time in Four Years
March 28, 2014
On Friday March 28, the Hicks Morley Labour Law Moot Championship was held in Toronto. After preliminary rounds in all the Ontario law schools sent a team, however Queen's is the only law school that sends first-years only. In addition to competing against upper year mooters AND having never taken a labour law course, Alyssa LeBlanc and Adam James learned that they would have to switch sides only a little over a week before the championship round.
In spite of all of those hurdles, Alyssa and Adam emerged victorious from a challenging final championship round against Western and WON the entire championship, bringing the Hicks Cup back to its proper home in Kingston!
Alyssa and Adam have put an incredible amount of work into preparing for a labour law issue that would be challenging even for upper year students.
Queen’s Law has won the Hick’s Cup in three of the last four years, and came in second place in the fourth year. An incredible achievement, especially considering that Queen’s is the only school limiting participation to first-year students.
The CLCW and Queen's Law Labour & Employment Club Hosts Susan Philpott
March 12, 2014
Susan Philpott, a partner at Koskie Minsky LLP in its Pensions group, met with Law and Master of Industrial Relations students for an informal discussion on working in labour law for Union clients. This was the second year that the CLCW, along with the Labour and Employment Law Club, has hosted this discussion, which was useful for anyone hoping to practice labour & employment law or wanting to learn more about this area. The visit was held on March 12, 2014 in Macdonald Hall and gave students a unique opportunity to meet with a pensions expert in an informal yet informative environment. We thank Susan for joining us and look forward to continuing this in future years. In the Fall semester, the CLCW had hosted a managing partner from an employers’-side firm to provide the perspective of working on the management side.
Queen's Snags Second Place at National Labour Arbitration Moot Competition
January 2012
The CLCW is delighted to report that Queen's placed second at the Mathews Dinsdale Canadian Labour Arbitration Moot Competition. Oralists Jessica Liu and Angela Wiggins turned in outstanding performances, improving in each round. They benefitted from the excellent research of Swarna Perinparajah, and from the thoughtful advice, experience and late evening sounding board provided by the three members of last year's team who returned to share student coaching duties: Giovanna DiSauro, Melissa McKay and Chanelle Wong.
Bernie Adell and Don Carter win the Bora Laskin Award
December 2013
It is with great pleasure that we extend our congratulations to Bernie Adell and Don Carter who will receive the Bora Laskin Award this year, in recognition of their outstanding contributions in teaching and scholarship in the area of labour and employment law. This is wonderful news and well-earned recognition at the highest level for two of our Centre colleagues.
The Bora Laskin Award has been established by the University of Toronto to honour those who have made Outstanding Contributions to Canadian Labour Law. The award is name after the late Chief Justice Bora Laskin (1912-1984) who, before joining the Supreme Court of Canada, was pre-eminent as a labour law scholar and labour arbitrator.
Nominations are considered of any professional involved in labour law, including academics, labour and management counsel, judges, arbitrators and adjudicators.
Congratulations to Bernie and Don!
The CLCW and Queen's Law Labour & Employment Club Hosts Steve Shamie
October 18, 2013
Steve Shamie, Managing Partner of Hicks Moley LLP graciously offered to hold an informal discussion session with interested Labour & Employment Club members. This was the second year the Club hosts this discussion, which was useful for anyone hoping to practice labour & employment law or wanting to learn more about this area. The Session was held on Friday, October 18th in Macdonald Hall and gave students a unique opportunity to meet with the managing partner of one of Canada's top management-side firms in an informal environment. We thank Steve for joining us and hope to continue this in future years.
The Labour and Employment Club Hosted a Workplace Law Career Panel
September 27, 2013
September 27, 2013: The Labour and Employment Club, in conjunction with the Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace and the Careers Services Office hosted their third annual Workplace Law Career Panel. The panel was held in the student lounge of Macdonald Hall. The workplace Law Career Panel brought management-side, union-side and government lawyers to Queen's law. Each discussed their practice and offered practical advice to students interested in the fields of labour, employment and human rights law. The panelists included Fiona Campbell from Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP, Kees Kort from Hicks Morley Stewart Storrie LLP, Alexa Sulzenko from Filion Wakely Thorup Angelettiand Anne Clark-McMunagle from the Public Service Labour Relations Board.
The CLCW Went to Barcelona
June 13-15, 2013
Centre Researchers attended the inaugural conference of the newly-formed international Labour Law Research Netowrk, which was held at the Faculty of Law, Ompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona, Spain from June 13-15, 2013. The Centre's panel, entitled Frontiers of Workplace Human Rights: A View from the Americas, featured presentations on the following topics:
"Disability accommodation in employment: How does an aging population matter and what might it mean for law and policy?" (Kevin Banks)
"Discrimination on the basis of "family status": New tool for transforming workplaces and societies or Trojan horse for subverting gender equality?" (Elizabeth Shilton)
"Labour law and the regulation of domestic work: A comparative analysis of Brazil and Spain" (Ana Gomes, together with I. Baviera Puig of the University of Navarra, Spain)
The Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace is very pleased to have contributed support to the conference to enable researchers from the developing world to attend.
CLCW Awarded $10,000 SARC Grant
April 2012
Centre Director Kevin Banks and the Centre Researcher Elizabeth Shilton have been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Senate Advisory Research Committee (SARC) to develop their research project entitlted "The Changing Role of Labour Relations Boards in Canada: Key Research Questions for the 21st Century". The Project will examine the many significant changes in the function of labour relations boards across Canada since they were fist established in period immediately after World War II, and explore wether their policies, procedures and adjudicative structures have kept pace with those changes. Banks and Shilton are working on this project with an expert subcommittee of current and former labour boards chairs, all of whom are members of the Centre's Advisory Committee: Elizabeh MacPherson, Bob Blair and Donald Carter.
Michaela Keenan-Pelletier, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Recipient for 2012
November 15, 2012
November 15, 2012: Congratulations to Michaela Keenan-Pelletier, Law 14, the Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Recipient for 2012, who worked with Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace Director, Professor Kevin Banks, on a project exploring issues related to accommodating and integrating older workers, disabled workers and caregivers into the workplace, and the position of workplace law in a global economy, entitled "New Demographics, New Economy: Pressures and Responses in Workplace Law".
Reception was held on Thursday, November 15, 2012.
The Labour and Employment Club Hosted a Workplace Law Career Panel
September 28, 2012
The Labour and Employment Club, in conjunction with the Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace and the Careers Services Office hosted their second annual Workplace Law Career Panel. The panel was held in the student lounge of Macdonald Hall. The workplace Law Career Panel brought management-side, union-side and government lawyers to Queen's law. Each discussed their practice and offered advice to students interested in the fields of labour, employment and human rights law. The panelists included Fiona Campbell from Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP, Kees Kort from Hicks Morley Stewart Storrie LLP, Anne Mundy-Markell from Gowlings LLP and Anne Clark-McMunagle from the Public Service Labour Relations Board.
CLCW Co-Chair Wins Ryan Alumni Award
May 2011
Hugh Christie, Law ‘81 (Artsci ‘78), has received the 2011 H.R.S. Ryan Alumni Award for his significant contributions to the Law Faculty, University and legal profession. The award, presented at the annual law alumni celebration in Toronto on May 4, honours the late Professor Stuart Ryan.
“This is a remarkably flattering award to receive,” Christie said, “all the more so because it is associated with Stuart Ryan, who was such a wonderful person. I thank Queen’s University and Queen’s Law on behalf of all of us who were given the legal skills that we have and, perhaps even more importantly, for our sense of public service and collegiality. I remember Professor Ryan encouraging our class to do work that was important, and not merely remunerative. This award speaks to those priorities."
Centre Launch
November 5, 2010
CLCW Director, Co-Chairs and staff together with students and Queen's faculty attended to celebrate the Centre's formal launch at Queen's Law Faculty.