Legal Aid Ontario lawyers welcome Supreme Court of Canada decision on RCMP collective bargaining

TORONTO, Jan. 16, 2015 /CNW/ - Today's Supreme Court of Canada decision that established RCMP officers' collective bargaining rights was welcomed by the campaign for Legal Aid Ontario lawyers' collective bargaining rights. For almost two years Legal Aid Ontario has refused to grant these lawyers their Charter-protected rights.

"This decision gives Legal Aid lawyers hope that we will also win our collective bargaining rights," said Dana Fisher, chair of the campaign. "We're facing many of the same issues as RCMP officers and today we feel that the Supreme Court sided with us."

Legal Aid lawyers are the only group of lawyers in the Ontario public service that are not currently represented.

"The Court's decision affirmed the right to collective bargaining that is free from employer interference," said Scott Travers, President of the Society of Energy Professionals, which is working with the Legal Aid lawyers' campaign. "We have tried to engage Legal Aid's leadership team and Board of Directors to no avail. Hopefully this decision will serve as a wakeup call."

The Supreme Court's decision held that "The Section 2(d) of the Charter guarantee of freedom of association protects a meaningful process of collective bargaining that provides employees with a degree of choice and independence sufficient to enable them to determine and pursue their collective interests."

However, Legal Aid Ontario steadfastly refuses to acknowledge that their staff lawyers are entitled to these rights.

"While other Legal Aid workers and public sector lawyers have collective agreements in place, only the Legal Aid staff lawyers have been denied this right," said Fisher. "Our goal is to provide the best possible representation to those who need it. All we ask is that we have that Legal Aid respects our rights and gives us the same opportunity as everyone else."

The Ontario Legal Aid Lawyers campaign is a voluntary effort composed of lawyers within Legal Aid Ontario and includes Criminal Duty Counsel, Family Duty Counsel, Immigration/Refugee Law Office and the Provincial Office.

SOURCE The Society of Energy Professionals

Dana Fisher, Chair, Legal Aid Ontario Lawyers' Campaign; Scott Travers, President, Society of Energy Professionals [phone]