Heenan Blaikie scraps labour law group / Ontario pension plan gets green light / Alberta extends bargaining deadline
OTTAWA — A top national labour and employment law firm could be scrapping its labour group lawyers in Ottawa, according to recent media reports.
Over the first weekend in February, partners at Heenan Blaikie (headquartered in Montreal) met to discuss the firm’s organization, focusing on the future of its regional offices across Canada. That includes a major restructuring in the near future.
Whereas details of the meeting are scant, the Financial Post is reporting all the lawyers in the labour group in Ottawa will be leaving — which makes up about 25 to 30 per cent of that office’s lawyers.
"While discussions continue, the top priority remains Heenan Blaikie’s clients and serving them with the same dedication and attention to detail as ever. There will be no interruptions in service during this period," said Norman Bacal, one of the founding partners at Heenan Blaikie’s Toronto office.
Ontario pension plan to be unveiled in spring: Premier
TORONTO — Premier Kathleen Wynne says plans for an Ontario Pension Plan will be unveiled this spring, ahead of a widely expected provincial election.
Wynne is worried middle-income earners are not saving enough to have a secure and comfortable retirement, and says the federal government refuses to enhance the Canada Pension Plan.
She says Ontario will go with its own pension plan, insisting it’s not a tax but a mandatory savings plan that will be administered by an arm’s length agency, not by the government.
The federal Conservatives say increasing pension contributions amounts to a job-killing payroll tax, and want the provinces to support Registered Pooled Pension Plans.
However, Wynne rejects that idea because pooled pensions "are a completely voluntary option’’ for retirement savings.
Alberta extends bargaining deadline
CALGARY — The Alberta government has extended its bargaining deadline with the union representing civil servants.
Deputy Premier Dave Hancock said on Jan. 31 the cabinet passed an order in council that extends the deadline to March 31.
The Conservative government passed a law last month forcing a four-year deal on the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) if an agreement wasn’t reached by the end of January.
Hancock said the government extended the deadline because it is "keen’’ to reach a negotiated settlement with its 22,000 employees.
AUPE president Guy Smith says the union is ready to get back to the table if the government does come with a new mandate.
"We hope that the new mandate reflects the Alberta economy and is not a further insult to our members,’’ Smith said in a news release. "They are angry, upset and demoralized by the events that have transpired to date.’’
"Our goal as always is to achieve a new agreement, an agreement that’s fair to the public sector employees who deliver programs and services to Albertans but it also fair to the Alberta taxpayer,’’ Hancock told reporters.
The legislation forces on the union a wage freeze in the first two years and one per cent hikes in each of the last two if a negotiated settlement isn’t reached. The government revoked the union’s right to go to binding arbitration in this round of bargaining.
It also passed a law imposing six and seven-figure fines if the union goes on strike illegally or talks about illegal strike action. The union is taking the province to court, arguing the laws violate charter freedoms and is unfair bargaining.
