CUPE v. N.B.,

• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Judge: Garnett, J.
• Neutral Citation: 2009 NBQB 164
• Date: 24 July 2006
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick (Canada)

CUPE v. N.B. (2009), 350 N.B.R.(2d) 73 (TD);

    350 R.N.-B.(2e) 73; 903 A.P.R. 73

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[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Temp. Cite: [2009] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. JN.030

Renvoi temp.: [2009] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. JN.030

In The Matter Of an Application Pursuant to Rule 16.04(3) and Rule 16.04(j) of the Rules of Court and Section 24(1) and Section 52(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, The Constitution Act, 1982

The Canadian Union of Public Employees and its Council of Hospital Unions, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 2745, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 1190, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 963, New Brunswick Union of Public and Private Employees, Cindy Coleman, Evelyn Comeau, Karen Mahoney, and Janet Del Frate (applicants) v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of New Brunswick (respondent)

(F/M/70/05; 2009 NBQB 164; 2009 NBBR 164)

Indexed As: Canadian Union of Public Employees et al. v. New Brunswick

Répertorié: Canadian Union of Public Employees et al. v. New Brunswick

New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench

Trial Division

Judicial District of Fredericton

Garnett, J.

June 17, 2009.

Summary:

Résumé:

The applicants sought a declaration that ss. 1, 5 and 7(3) of the Public Service Labour Relations Act (N.B.) violated or denied rights which were guaranteed by ss. 2(d), 7 and 15 of the Charter. They argued that the exclusion of "casual employees" from the definition of "employee" under the Act had the effect of denying these employees of all rights pursuant to that legislation.

The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, allowed the application in part. The court declared that the exclusion in the Act was contrary to s. 2(d) of the Charter. However, the court suspended the declaration of invalidity for 12 months to allow the legislature to provide a statutory framework that was consistent with the principles discussed by the court. The court held that the Act did not impair the applicants' s. 7 or s. 15 Charter rights.

Civil Rights - Topic 982

Discrimination - Employment - Employer, employee and employment defined - The applicants sought a declaration that ss. 1, 5 and 7(3) of the Public Service Labour Relations Act (N.B.) violated or denied rights which were guaranteed by s. 7 and s. 15 of the Charter - They argued that the exclusion of "casual employees" from the definition of "employee" under the Act had the effect of denying these employees of all rights pursuant to that legislation - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, declared that the exclusion in the Act did not impair Charter rights under s. 7 or s. 15 of the Charter - Economic rights as generally encompassed by the term "property" were not within the protection of s. 7 - Section 7 extended only to certain kinds of state action, those that occurred as a result of an individual's interaction with the justice system and its administration - It could not be argued that the Act was discriminatory - Being a "casual" employee did not fall into one of the enumerated grounds nor did it correspond with any of the analogous grounds - It was not an immutable personal characteristic - See paragraphs 57 to 62.

Civil Rights - Topic 983

Discrimination - Employment - What constitutes discrimination - [See Civil Rights - Topic 982 ].

Civil Rights - Topic 1301

Security of the person - Employment - General - [See Civil Rights - Topic 982 ].

Civil Rights - Topic 2144.1

Freedom of association - Limitations on - Collective bargaining and employer or employee groups - The applicants sought a declaration that ss. 1, 5 and 7(3) of the Public Service Labour Relations Act (N.B.) violated or denied rights which were guaranteed by s. 2(d) of the Charter - They argued that the exclusion of "casual employees" from the definition of "employee" under the Act had the effect of denying these employees of all rights pursuant to that legislation - The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, declared that the exclusion in the Act was contrary to s. 2(d) of the Charter which protected freedom of association - Casual employees employed by the Province of New Brunswick were a vulnerable group - The Province had used the definition of employee to create a sub-class of workers in a way which had interfered with their fundamental rights under s. 2(d) - For many years the Province had subjected "casuals" to practices which could only be described as unfair - This was one of those situations in which the Charter imposed a positive obligation on government "to extend protective legislation to unprotected groups" - The court suspended the declaration of invalidity for 12 months to allow the legislature to provide a statutory framework that was consistent with the principles discussed by the court - See paragraphs 33 to 56 and 65.

Civil Rights - Topic 2155

Freedom of association - Limitations on - Labour legislation - [See Civil Rights - Topic 2144.1 ].

Civil Rights - Topic 2204

Freedom of association - Denial of right of - What constitutes - [See Civil Rights - Topic 2144.1 ].

Labour Law - Topic 9023

Public service labour relations - Definitions - Employee - [See Civil Rights - Topic 2144.1 ].

Labour Law - Topic 9026.1

Public service labour relations - Definitions - Casual employee - [See Civil Rights - Topic 2144.1 ].

Droits et libertés - Cote 982

Discrimination - Emploi - Définition d'employeur, d'employé et d'emploi - [Voir Civil Rights - Topic 982 ].

Droits et libertés - Cote 983

Discrimination - Emploi - En quoi consiste la discrimination - [Voir Civil Rights - Topic 983 ].

Droits et libertés - Cote 1301

Securité de sa personne - Emploi - Généralités - [Voir Civil Rights - Topic 1301 ].

Droits et libertés - Cote 2144.1

Liberté d'association - Limitations - Négociations collectives et associations d'employeurs - [Voir Civil Rights - Topic 2144.1 ].

Droits et libertés - Cote 2155

Liberté d'association - Limitations - Législation sur le droit du travail - [Voir Civil Rights - Topic 2155 ].

Droits et libertés - Cote 2204

Liberté d'association - Négation du droit d'association - En quoi consiste - [Voir Civil Rights - Topic 2204 ].

Droit du travail - Cote 9023

Relations de travail dans la fonction publique - Définitions - Employé - [Voir Labour Law - Topic 9023 ].

Droit du travail - Cote 9026.1

Relations de travail dans les services publics - Définitions - Employé surnuméraire - [Voir Labour Law - Topic 9026.1 ].

Cases Noticed:

Dunmore et al. v. Ontario (Attorney General) et al., [2001] 3 S.C.R. 1016; 279 N.R. 201; 154 O.A.C. 201; 207 D.L.R.(4th) 193, refd to. [para. 29].

Fraser et al. v. Ontario (Attorney General) (2008), 242 O.A.C. 252; 301 D.L.R.(4th) 335 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].

Health Services and Support - Facilities Subsector Bargaining Association et al. v. British Columbia, [2007] 2 S.C.R. 391; 363 N.R. 226; 242 B.C.A.C. 1; 400 W.A.C. 1; 283 D.L.R.(4th) 40, refd to. [para. 39].

Reference Re Public Service Employee Relations Act (Alta.) - see Reference Re Compulsory Arbitration.

Reference Re Compulsory Arbitration, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 313; 74 N.R. 99; 78 A.R. 1, refd to. [para. 39].

Public Service Alliance of Canada v. Canada, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 424; 75 N.R. 161, refd to. [para. 39].

Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union, Locals 544, 496, 635 and 955 et al. v. Saskatchewan et al., [1987] 1 S.C.R. 460; 74 N.R. 321; 56 Sask.R. 277, refd to. [para. 39].

Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada v. Northwest Territories (Commissioner) et al., [1990] 2 S.C.R. 367; 112 N.R. 269, refd to. [para. 39].

R. v. Zundel (No. 2), [1992] 2 S.C.R. 731; 140 N.R. 1; 56 O.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 42].

Corbiere et al. v. Canada (Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs) et al., [1999] 2 S.C.R. 203; 239 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 42].

R. v. Oakes, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 103; 65 N.R. 87; 14 O.A.C. 335, refd to. [para. 42].

Fraser et al. v. Ontario (Attorney General), [2006] O.T.C. 5; 263 D.L.R.(4th) 425 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 46].

Irwin Toy Ltd. v. Québec (Procureur général), [1989] 1 S.C.R. 927; 94 N.R. 167; 24 Q.A.C. 2, refd to. [para. 58].

New Brunswick (Minister of Health and Community Services) v. J.G. and D.V., [1999] 3 S.C.R. 46; 244 N.R. 276; 216 N.B.R.(2d) 25; 552 A.P.R. 25, refd to. [para. 59].

Reference Re Sections 193 and 195.1(1)(c) of the Criminal Code, [1990] 1 S.C.R. 1123; 109 N.R. 81; 68 Man.R.(2d) 1, refd to. [para. 59].

Blencoe v. Human Rights Commission (B.C.) et al., [2000] 2 S.C.R. 307; 260 N.R. 1; 141 B.C.A.C. 161; 231 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 59].

Law v. Minister of Employment and Immigration, [1999] 1 S.C.R. 497; 236 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 61].

Statutes Noticed:

Public Service Labour Relations Act, R.S.N.B. 1973, c. P-25, sect. 1, sect. 5, sect. 7(3) [para. 4].

Counsel:

Avocats:

Robert D. Breen, Q.C., for the applicants;

Clyde D. Spinney, Q.C., and Gaétan Migneault, for the respondent.

This application was heard on July 24, 2006 and September 12, 2007, by Garnett, J., of the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, Judicial District of Fredericton, who delivered the following decision on June 17, 2009.