Strikes and lockouts cause massive interruptions in an employer’s operations. When faced with a strike or lockout, employers will sometimes use replacement workers to continue their operations and ease the financial consequences. Replacement workers, colloquially known as “scabs”, are people who are hired or used to temporarily perform the bargaining unit work of the unionized […]
The use of surveillance cameras has increased along with other digital technology. They are a common feature in most businesses and busy roadways. They have also become popular for personal use with products like dash cams and home security systems. As the digital world creeps into our privacy, the balance of management rights and the […]
In times of financial uncertainty, employers seeking to cut costs may quickly turn to temporary layoffs. From the employer’s point of view, layoffs offer an opportunity to press “pause” on its obligations to employees in the short-term while still maintaining the employment relationship in the long-term. Failing to handle layoffs properly, however, may leave the […]
The recent decision of the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC), Association of Justice Counsel v Canada (Attorney General), 2017 SCC 55, addressed the issue of whether a unionized employer can unilaterally introduce a policy requiring employees to provide unpaid standby duty.
In the context of a unionized work environment, it is generally the case that when an employee is found to be terminated without cause, the employee is ordered to be reinstated.
For many years, the Nova Scotia Labour Board has used the “snapshot” approach to construction industry union certifications.