Labour & Employment
Our labour and employment team is one of the largest in Western Canada. We act for employers in all sectors. Several of our lawyers have been awarded Lawyer of the Year – Labour and Employment Law by Best Lawyers, and we are consistently recognized as leading management-side labour and employment lawyers by Best Lawyers in Canada and The Canadian Lexpert Legal Directory.
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We help employers to respond quickly and effectively to workforce challenges, providing proactive, practical and innovative advice and assistance on all labour and employment matters. This includes discipline and terminations; employment standards, occupational health and safety, human rights law and the duty to accommodate; privacy issues; personnel policies and contracts; drug and alcohol testing, personal searches and all types of litigation including wrongful dismissal and constructive dismissal claims, human rights complaints, employment standards complaints, and OH&S complaints before all relevant tribunals and courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
Our experience representing employers dealing with unions extends back to the very origins of trade union legislation in Western Canada. We provide advice on negotiating strategies and the dynamics of bargaining, negotiate collective agreements on behalf of management, advise on collective agreement interpretation and the grievance process, and represent employers before labour relations boards, arbitration boards and courts. We have comprehensive experience addressing issues such as applications for union certification, unfair labour practices and de-certifications. Our labour law practice is one of the most well-regarded in Western Canada.
We are well-versed on all aspects of compensation, pension and benefits law, including the tax implications of pension, disability and other group benefits plans and the resolution of disputes involving such plans.
In Canada, specific industries and workplaces are regulated under the Canada Labour Code (the Code). The Code defines the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers in federally regulated workplaces. Labour matters that fall under the Code include industrial relations and collective bargaining; occupational health and safety; standards for hours, wages, vacations and holidays; and administrative monetary penalties.
MLT Aikins is well-versed in the legal nuances that apply to federally regulated employers. We represent private and public employers in a range of industries impacted by the Code, such as federal Crown corporations, aviation and air transportation, banks, maritime, road and rail transportation, telecommunications and broadcasting, postal and courier services, pipelines, grain handling, uranium mining, and oil and gas exploration in the territories. First Nations band councils and Indigenous self-governments are also federally regulated employers (for certain activities).
Our team of lawyers monitors and stays on top of regulatory developments so that employers understand their responsibilities in order to best advise their employees. We have appeared before federal regulators, tribunals and Courts, including the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, the Canadian Industrial Relations Board, Federal Courts and Federal Courts of Appeal. We have also been involved in the negotiation of various collective bargaining agreements.
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