News

May 17, 2016

Volunteer sought for Colombian Tribunal on Health and Safety and Security

The Colombian Association of Labour Lawyers for Workers is planning to hold an International Tribunal on Freedom of Association and Human Rights , with a focus on workplace health and safety and security issues in Colombia. The tribunal will be composed of eleven international jurists as participant members of the panel. The Tribunal is seeking a representative from Canada who has experience in health and safety law as one of these participants. 

The Tribunal will be held in September from Sept 21 to 24, 2016 in Cucuta, Colombia at the University of Francicso de Paula Santander. 

This type of tribunal is known as an ethical tribunal and is not  controlled by government . A number of  similar tribunals have been held in recent years in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Mexico. These tribunals receive various cases brought forward by trade unions and workers  and issue a report with recommendations. The tribunals serve to shed light on labour union rights violations in these countries. The reports are published and distributed to government authorities, international organisations, trade unions and  media. 

Proceedings of the tribunal will be conducted in Spanish, and knowledge of Spanish would be an asset to the participant, although not a prerequisite. 

The International Labour Rights Committee of CALL will be able to provide financial support for a CALL member to participate in the Tribunal.

Those interested should contact David Brown, ILRC coordinator at david.brownconsult@bellaliant.net    

David Brown
CALL International Labour Rights Committee

 

May 10, 2016

Fort McMurray, Alberta

Dear colleagues, friends, and fellow members of CALL/ACAMS,

As we are all aware, a devastating wildfire is ravaging peoples' homes and livelihoods in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The fire threatens to expand significantly before there is any chance of bringing it under control. In the meantime, Fort McMurray has been evacuated and tens of thousands of people require temporary shelter and support. Many of those people are union members and it looks like many will be unable to return to their homes for weeks or months.

 As a measure of immediate solidarity, I would like to encourage you to donate to the Red Cross for its Alberta Relief program. Individual members of CALL/ACAMS – including myself- have already made personal donations‎. Individual contributions are tax deductible and will be matched by both the Government of Alberta and the Government Canada, and so are particularly valuable. 

The Red Cross site for the Alberta Fires Appeal is at:  https://donate.redcross.ca/ea-action/action?&ea.client.id=1951&ea.campaign.id=50639

CALL/ACAMS will also be connecting with union leaders in Alberta in the coming weeks to determine if there are other ways that we can offer support as well.

Thank you everybody for your support, and your solidarity with the people of Fort McMurray,

Leanne Chahley
CALL / ACAMS President

 

May 09, 2016

BC Regional Event - May 16, 2016

Please join us on Monday, May 16 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Law Courts Inn, Vancouver, BC for another exciting regional event sponsored by CALL. The event and details are as follows:  

Is What’s Old New Again? A discussion of emerging litigation practice issues faced by labour lawyers

Time:      5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Law Courts Inn, Vancouver, BC

Panelists:  To be announced

Note: Please contact either Carmela or Colin if you have faced a new argument that would systematically disadvantage unions.

Carmela and Colin
CALL BC Regional Vice-Presidents

 

November 16, 2015

Re-Claiming the Right to Work

Re-Claiming the Right to Work Poster

In recent years, the phrase “right to work” has come to be synonymous with a right-wing agenda in the United States to undermine the trade union movement by prohibiting union security agreements, restricting the payment of union dues, and weakening the economic power of unions. Ironically, far from providing a general guarantee of employment to people seeking work, so-called “right-to-work” laws restrict freedom of association by limiting the kinds of contractual agreements unions can make with employers and, in many cases, have resulted in lower wages and benefits for workers.

This event, co-sponsored by Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR), the Centre for Labour Management Relations, Faraday Law, and Goldblatt Partners, seeks to re-claim the “right to work” by re-framing work as a public good, rather than a commodity. Such a shift has far-reaching implications:

  • If the right to work is a human right, what does this mean for the right of workers to participate in productive activities and to obtain an adequate standard of living?
  • What are the implications for national and international regulatory systems, as well as transnational migration?
  • How can such a shift help organized labour and non-unionized workers to respond to growing conditions of precarity and the erosion of decent work?

We will explore these questions, and more, at a panel discussion of trade unionists, workers' activists, and labour experts.

Panelists:

Moderator:

The event is FREE.

 

Please register at: https://reclaimrighttowork.eventbrite.com   

Come learn and share your thoughts

 

September 09, 2015

CALL/ACAMS 2016 Conference
The 2016 Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers / Association Canadienne des Avocats du Mouvement Syndical (CALL / ACAMS) will be held from Thursday, June 2 through Sunday June 5, 2016 inclusive in St, John's, Newfoundland.

 
Further details concerning the agenda and the events will follow as soon as possible.
 
Please mark your calendars.