Expertise > Practices > Labour and Employment
Labour and Employment
The Labour and Employment Group advises employers in all aspects of labour law and employment law in both the provincial and federal sectors, including labour relations, collective bargaining, wrongful dismissal advice, pension and benefits litigation, human rights, employment standards, employment equity, workers' compensation, privacy issues and business immigration.
We ensure a familiarity with our client's operations and, because labour and employment issues often require immediate attention, we ensure that clients can promptly reach a fully informed lawyer whenever necessary.
Our group is proactive in resolving labour relations and employment issues and providing practical, sound and economic advice and developing strategies that will provide solutions consistent with the client’s business needs.
Members of our group advise clients in the interpretation and application of applicable labour and employment legislation in BC, Alberta, the NWT and federally, including employment standards and labour relations, privacy and human rights legislations.
Members of the group have extensive experience in acting as counsel before judicial and decision-making tribunals such as provincial and federal labour relations boards, arbitration boards, employment standards tribunals, human rights tribunals, workers' compensation boards and the courts.
We regularly provide collective bargaining advice and act as chief spokespersons for companies who do not have in-house bargaining personnel. Members of the group have negotiated collective agreements in a wide variety of industries, including the manufacturing, retail, transportation, forestry, film, credit union, security, child care and service industries. We also have extensive experience leading clients through strikes, lockouts, picketing and other labour disruptions and unrest.
We have experience in the design and application of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) systems and in representing clients in the ADR process as well as acting as mediators. We are available to assist clients in workers' compensation assessments and appeals. We also assist clients with business immigration matters, including obtaining work permits and applying for permanent resident status.
We regularly prepare privacy policies for clients and are prepared to assist with privacy audits and all aspects of compliance with privacy laws.
Our labour relations clients include mining, construction, forestry and forest products, technology, manufacturing, service and distribution, retail sales, engineering, transportation, entertainment, health care and social service employers.
In addition to being able to assist our clients directly in all federal, British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon and Northwest Territories matters, the Labour and Employment Group is a member of a national legal network of law firms practicing labour and employment law in every Canadian jurisdiction. This network enables us to serve our clients’ needs seamlessly throughout Canada.
Key Contacts
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Patricia Gallivan, Q.C.
- Vancouver
- P: 604.631.6718
-
Robert Sider
- Vancouver
- P: 604.631.6722
-
Paul Smith
- Yellowknife
- P: 867.669.5532
Experience
- Advising clients on:
- interpretation and application of labour legislation at the federal and provincial levels
- certification and decertification applications, successorship and common employer adjudications, corporate reorganization
- amalgamations, purchases, sales or alteration in the manner of performing works, and variances to a bargaining unit
- unlawful strike and picketing activity and unfair labour practice complaints including those relating to the use of strike replacement workers and management exclusions
- Providing advice related to the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements including first contracts and renewals. This also includes analyzing union proposals, assisting in the preparation of the company’s proposals, advising on strategy, acting as the company’s spokesperson and representing the employer in the mediation processes
- Providing contract administration advice including interpreting our client’s rights and obligations under collective agreements, providing advice as to the extent of the client’s rights to impose discipline on employees in any particular circumstance, providing advice relating to any grievances that may arise and representing the client at arbitration and appeals from arbitrator’s decisions
- Providing advice and documentation involving non-union work places, including preparation of employment contracts, review and preparation of corporate employment manuals and all aspects of wrongful dismissal actions including group terminations arising out of operational downsizing in both the provincial and federal sectors. We have recently acted on behalf of the boards of some of the largest publicly traded companies in BC in relation to the termination of their CEO’s
- Providing advice on business immigration matters, including obtaining temporary work permits under the provisions of NAFTA and GATS and applying for permanent resident status under provincial nominee programs
- Advising employers with regard to privacy issues arising under federal and provincial privacy legislation
- Providing advice to purchasers and vendors of businesses of the labour and employment consequences of their proposed transactions
Key Contacts
-
Patricia Gallivan, Q.C.
- Vancouver
- P: 604.631.6718
-
Robert Sider
- Vancouver
- P: 604.631.6722
-
Paul Smith
- Yellowknife
- P: 867.669.5532
Key Contacts
-
Patricia Gallivan, Q.C.
- Vancouver
- P: 604.631.6718
-
Robert Sider
- Vancouver
- P: 604.631.6722
-
Paul Smith
- Yellowknife
- P: 867.669.5532
Team Members
| Name | Office | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cushing, Deborah |
|
dcushing@lawsonlundell.com
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| Gallivan Q.C., Patricia |
|
pgallivan@lawsonlundell.com
|
|
| Kay, Sarah |
|
skay@lawsonlundell.com
|
|
| O'Brien, M.J. (Peggy) |
|
pobrien@lawsonlundell.com
|
|
| Rilkoff, Walter |
|
wrilkoff@lawsonlundell.com
|
|
| Samuels, Melanie |
|
msamuels@lawsonlundell.com
|
|
| Sider, Robert |
|
rsider@lawsonlundell.com
|
|
| Skuggedal, Nicole |
|
nskuggedal@lawsonlundell.com
|
|
| Smith, Paul |
|
psmith@lawsonlundell.com
|
