Symposium: Is There a Constitutional Right to Strike in Canada?

Symposium Schedule - December 5, 2009 in the Solarium, Falconer Hall

Click on links to see text of presentation (PDF format).

9-9:15Welcome and overview - Brian Langille
9:15-10:45

Session I - International (Moderator-Patrick Macklem, Toronto)

- Sir Bob Hepple, Cambridge (International): "The Right to Strike in an International Context"
- Jean-Michel Servais, Liege and Girona, (ILO): "The ILO and the Right to Strike"
- Keith Ewing, Kings College London and John Hendy QC (Europe): "The Dramatic Implications of DEMIR and BAYKARA" 

10:45-11Coffee break
11-12:30

Session II - Comparative (Moderator-Karl Klare, Northeastern)

- Dennis Davis, High Court Cape Town (South Africa): "The South African Position on Strikes: Viewed from the Perspective of Health Services BC"
- James Pope, Rutgers (USA): "The Right to Strike Under the US constitution: Theory, Practice, and Possible Implications for Canada"
- Guy Davidov, Hebrew U. (Israel): "Judicial Development of Collective Labour Rights - Contextually" 

12:30-1:45Lunch (Adjacent to the Solarium)
1:45-3:15

Session III - Freedom of association, Charter values, and Strikes (Moderator - Alan Hyde, Rutgers)

- Sheldon Leader, Essex: "Can you derive a "right to strike" from "freedom of association?"
- Jamie Cameron, Osgoode: "Reading the Trilogy last rites: s.2(d) and a constitutional right to strike"
- Brian Etherington, U. Windsor: "Does the Charter Include the Right to Strike After BC Health Services?" 

3:15-3:30 Coffee Break
3:30-4:30

Session IV - History, Meaning, and Constitutionalization of a right to strike (Moderator-Kerry Rittich, Toronto)

- Judy Fudge, Victoria and Eric Tucker, Osgoode (History): "The Freedom to Strike in Canada: A Brief Legal History"
- Brian Langille, Toronto: "What is a Strike?"
- Harry Arthurs, Osgoode, (The Constitutionalization of Labour Law): "Constitutionalizing the right of workers to organize, bargain and strike: the sight of one shoulder shrugging" 

4:30- 5:15Session V - The Litigators Speak (Roundtable with Paul Cavalluzzo, Jodi Gallagher, Steve Barrett/Ethan Poskanzer, Bob Charney/Robin Bazu, John Hendy)
5:15RECEPTION in Flavelle House