04-06 December 2, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OTTAWA, ONTARIO - The Honourable Joe Fontana, Minister of Labour and Housing, today announced the appointment of Harry W. Arthurs as Commissioner leading the review of federal Labour Standards, Part III of the Canada Labour Code. Professor Arthurs is a world renowned legal scholar and labour law expert who is highly regarded by both business and worker organizations. He is President Emeritus and University Professor at York University. Professor Arthurs is former President of York University (Toronto), former Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School (Toronto), an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of Ontario. The Commissioner will be supported by an advisory panel including Ms. Sherry Liang, an adjudicator with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, Dr. Daphne Taras, Associate Dean of Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary, and Dr. Gilles Trudeau, Professor at the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Law. The panel will also include representatives from business and labour. "I am confident that Professor Arthurs is eminently qualified to provide forward-looking advice so that federal labour standards legislation and programs remain relevant and meet the needs of workplaces in today's rapidly changing environment," said Minister Fontana. "With the participation and strong support of business and labour in this review process, we will strive to find the right balance in providing protection to working Canadians while supporting flexibility and productivity in the workplace." The world of work today has changed fundamentally. For example, the diversity of workers (women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities and Aboriginal peoples) has increased and created demographic changes; new technology has transferred the way work gets done and has put pressures on workers to learn new skills and to be available all the time; most parents are working now and families are seeking a balance between work and family responsibilities; there are new forms of employment relationships; and employers are competing in a globalized world and need a flexible and responsive work force. As workplaces continue to evolve, these changes will require corresponding changes to labour policy and legislation. Modifications to other parts of the Canada Labour Code were made in the past few years. In 1999, changes were made to Part I (Industrial Relations) of the Code. These changes included streamlining and modernizing the collective bargaining process. Part II (Occupational Safety and Health) was modified in 2000. The new legislation created a better balance between the roles of government, employers and employees by enabling workplace parties to assume more responsibility for their own work place health and safety. Also, the Employment Equity Act was reviewed in 2002, this review bringing forth recommendations to improve the administrative effectiveness of the legislation. The review of Part III of the Canada Labour Code will complete the process of modernizing federal labour legislation. The final report of the review and recommendations are to be submitted to the Minister of Labour and Housing by January 2006. - 30 - The biographical notes are attached. For more information: Peter Graham Office of the Minister of Labour and Housing (819) 953-5646 Web site: www.hrsdc.gc.ca Biographies Harry W. Arthurs Professor Harry W. Arthurs, currently University Professor of Law and Political Science, York University, is former Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School and former President of York University. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the British Academy. His publications cover the fields of labour and employment law, administrative law, legal education, ethics, history and theory, globalization and constitutional law. He was the first adjudicator of the Public Service of Canada and has served extensively as a labour arbitrator and mediator. He is a former member of the Economic Council of Canada and the governing body of the Law Society of Upper Canada. Professor Arthurs holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (University of Toronto), a Masters in Law (Harvard University) and a number of Honorary Doctorates (Brock, Law Society of Upper Canada, Lethbridge, McGill, Sherbrooke, Montréal, Toronto and Windsor). He was awarded the Canada Council's Killam Prize in 2002 for his lifetime contribution to the Social Sciences and in 2003, the Bora Laskin Prize for his contribution to labour law. Sherry Liang Sherry Liang is an adjudicator with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, dealing with appeals under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. She also acts as an arbitrator/mediator, resolving disputes arising under private sector collective agreements. Ms. Liang served as a Vice-Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board from 1991 to 1997, adjudicating complaints and applications under the Labour Relations Act and prior to that worked in private practice as a lawyer with a firm representing unions and employees in matters before the courts, tribunals and arbitration boards. Ms. Liang holds a Bachelor of Arts (Queen's University), a Bachelor of Laws and a Masters of Laws (both from University of Toronto). She is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. Daphne Taras Dr. Daphne Taras is currently Professor of Industrial Relations in the Haskayne School of Business and holds a Professorship at the University's Institute for Advanced Policy Research. She is the Haskayne School's former Associate Dean (Research). Her books include Nonunion Employee Representation, the fourth and fifth editions of the leading text Union-Management Relations in Canada, and Information Technology and the World of Work. She has published many articles and book chapters and co-edited journal symposia for Journal of Labor Research. She served on the Executive Board of the Industrial Relations Research Association (IRRA) in the United States. She was the Haskayne School of Business's Outstanding New Scholar in 1997 and the recipient of the Dean's Research Excellence Award in 2000. Dr. Taras holds a Bachelor of Arts (York University) and a Masters of Arts (Duke University) in Political Science, a Masters in Business Administration (University of Calgary) in New Ventures, and a PhD (University of Calgary) in Industrial Relations. Gilles Trudeau Dr. Trudeau is Professor of Law at the Faculty of Law at the Université de Montréal. He is a former Director of the École de relations industrielles from 1995 to 1999 at this university. He is also member of the Centre de recherche interuniversitaire sur la mondialisation et le travail. He is well known and held in high regard for his extensive expertise in the field of industrial relations and labour law. His major fields of research and publication include labour standards, industrial discipline, international labour law and the impact of globalization on labour law. He is also a well respected arbitrator, appointed frequently by the Conseil consultatif du travail et de la main-d'oeuvre for cases under the Quebec Labour Code and by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services for cases under the Canada Labour Code. Dr. Trudeau holds a Law Degree and Bachelor in Industrial Relations (Université de Montréal) and a Doctorate (S.J.D.) in Law (Harvard Law School). He is a member of Le Barreau du Québec and was elected to the Royal Society of Canada in 2000. - 30 -
