Forestry
Jury awards mill manager $573,000 in punitive damages, reported to be largest award in Canada of its kind
The Vancouver Sun reported on July 27, 2012 that a Prince George jury awarded a former mill manager $573,000 in punitive damages, the largest punitive damages award in Canada in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit.
You can read the story here:"Burns Lake sawmill manager wins major wrongful dismissal suit".
Supreme Court of Canada to hear union's appeal of case concerning random alcohol testing in workplace
In a decision issued on March 20, 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada announced that it would hear the appeal of a case involving an employer's right to conduct random alcohol testing in the workplace
Some key facts concerning the case: read more »
Appeal Court dismisses appeal in forestry employee's negligent misrepresentation, wrongful dismissal case
Lesage v. Canadian Forest Products Ltd., 2011 BCCA 259
My summary of the trial judge's decision can be found here.
New Brunswick court quashes arbitrators' ruling that random alcohol testing policy at mill was unreasonable
On judicial review. the New Brunswick Queens Bench court has quashed an arbitration board's ruling concerning the reasonableness of a worklace random alcohol testing policy.
In a decision issued November 16, 2009, the majority of the arbitration board had ruled that the policy was not reasonable and thus not enforceable.
The court's decision - which was issued on September 20, 2010 - has not yet been posted to publically accessible database.
However, Toronto lawyer Dan Michaluk has been able to get his hands on the decision and has posted it on his "All About Information" blog:
United Steelworkers union reaches tentative 4 year collective agreement with CONIFER
The United Steelworkers (USW) union issued a news release yesterday in which they reported that the BC Interior Bargaining Committee had reached a tentative collective agreement with the Council on Northern Interior Forest Employment Relations (CONIFER).
Details were not released but in general terms, the USW says that the four-year agreement, which would expire on July 1, 2013, provides for the following: read more »
