Class Actions in Employment Law

• Author: Michael D. Wright
• Pages: 541-560



Class Actions in

Employment Law

Michael D. Wright*

A. EMPLOYEE AND RETIREE CLAIMS AS

CLASS PROCEEDINGS

ThethreemainobjectivesofOntariosClass Proceedings Act are to

improveaccess to just iceto cr eatejudicia l economies and to modify

behaviourofactualorpotentialwrongdoerswhomightotherwisebe

temptedtoignorepublicobligationsForemployeesandretireeswho

donothavethebenetofaccesstothegrievanceandarbitrationmecha-

nismsavailabletounionizedemployeesclassproceedingsoeravalu-

ableandversatilemeansofaddressingissuesofbroadapplicationina

costeectivemannerAtthetimetheOntarioLawReformCommission

wasconsideringpotentialclassactionlegislationforOntarioitnoted

thatoneoftheadvantagesofclassproceedingswouldbethepotential

usebynonunionizedemployeestopursueemploymentrelatedclaims

 MichaelDWrightisapartneratCavalluzzoHayesShiltonMcIntyreCornish

LLPMrWrightwouldliketoacknowledgeSimonArcherssubstantialcontribu-

tionsasthispaperdrawsuponsomeoftheworkfromanearlierpaperwrien

withSimonArcherClassProceedingsasaFrameworkforEmployeeandRetiree

ClaimsCanClassActionRev

 SOcClassProceedingsAct

 Abdool v. Anaheim Management Ltd. ORdatDivCt

MDW

anexpandedclassactionproceduremightbeutilizedforexample

byemployeesnototherwisegovernedbyUnioncontractsandtheat-

tendantgrievanceproceduresforabreachoftheiremploymentcon-

tractthatiscommontonumerousemployees

Classproceedingsallowoneormoreindividualstobringanappli-

cation or action on behalf of a larger group of people where they all

shareatleastonecommonissueThisprocedurepermitsanumberof

modestsimilarclaimswhichwouldotherwisebetooexpensivetoliti-

gateindividuallytobeadvancedinasingleproceedingforthebenet

ofmanyAclassactionwillbecertiedifthepleadingsdisclosea

causeofactionthereisanidentiableclassoftwoormorepersons

whoaretoberepresentedtheclaimsoftheclassmembersraisecom-

monbutnotnecessarilyidenticalissuesaclassproceedingisthe

preferableprocedurefortheresolutionofthecommonissuesandthe

proposedclassrepresentativewillfairlyandadequatelyrepresentthe

interestsoftheclasshasaplanforadvancingthelitigationanddoes

nothaveaconictofinterestwithotherclassmembersTheexperience

withemployeeandretireeclaimsoverthepastseveralyearshasdemon-

stratedthatthisformofproceedingpermitsmeritoriousclaimstocome

forwardthatwouldotherwisenothavebeenpossibleInthispaperthe

basicframeworkoftheseproceedingsisreviewed

Firstthecontextualandnuancedapproachtoemploymentissues

which Canadian court s have developed over the past decade is re-

viewedThisevolutionmakesclassproceedingsanexcellentmechanism

foradvancinganumberoftheseclaimsbothforemployeesandretir-

eesSecondanumberofthesesubstantiveclaimsarediscussedinthe

classproceedingcontextandanapproachtopursuingandadjudicating

theseissuesisoutlinedThirdtheuseofclassproceedingstobringpen-

sionandbenetclaimsisdiscussedFinallythecontributionofclaims

broughtthroughclassproceedingstothedevelopmentofthesubstan-

tivelawofemploymentpensionsandbenetsisevaluated

 OntarioLawReformCommissionReport on Cl ass ActionsvolTorontoQueens

Printerat

 ClassProceedingsActsupra notes