New Labour Law Rule: Think Global, Act Local

Think Global, Act Local In a case that pitted B.C. health unions against contentious labour legislation, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled last fall that collective bargaining is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The decision significantly changes the lives of many Canadian labour law practitioners and policy-makers, says Kevin Banks, assistant professor in Queen's University Faculty of Law. In this article, Kevin talks about the decision and describes how lessons learned in international law can provide practitioners with guidance on constitutionally protected collective bargaining rights.

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Don Wood Lecture: New Role for Labour

Prominent Harvard labour economist Dr. Richard B. Freeman will be delivering the 2008 Don Wood Lecture. Dr. Freeman holds the Herbert Ascherman Chair in Economics at Harvard University, and is currently serving as Faculty Director of the Labor and Worklife Program at the Harvard Law School. On his Queen's University visit, Dr. Freeman will be talking on "A New Role for Labour in Financial Crisis?".

The Don Wood Lecture is a joint initiative of Queen's University IRC and the Master of Industrial Relations program. It was established in 1987 to honour the late Dr. W. Donald Wood, Professor Emeritus, Queen's University and former Director of Queen's Industrial Relations Centre and School of Industrial Relations.

Dr. Freeman's public lecture will take place on Monday, November 3, 2008, at 4 p.m. in the Policy Studies Building, room 202.

IRC Sponsors Traveling Art Exhibit

One of the gems of Queen's University is the Agnes Etherington Art Centre. The Agnes is one of Canada's most respected art museums, and is the third largest provincial gallery in Ontario. Earlier this year, the Centre staged a superb exhibit of the art of Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge, titled Working Culture. The Toronto-based artists have a 30-year career of active engagement with organised labour, most recently exploring issues relating to workers in globalizing economies.

The IRC is proud to sponsor the Condé-Beveridge exhibit as it travels to Halifax, Windsor, and Oshawa over the coming months. First stop for the exhibit is the Dalhousie Art Gallery in Halifax, from October 17 to November 23. The IRC is staging an alumni event at the Gallery on Nov. 6, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and hopng to bring some Queen's spirit to the Maritimes.

To reserve your spot at our alumni event in Halifax on Nov. 6, send an email to alan.morantz@queensu.ca

To learn more about the Conde-Beveridge exhibit at Dalhouse Art Gallery: http://artgallery.dal.ca/exhibitions/future.html

Register soon to ensure admittance to these popular Fall programs:

• Oct. 19 to 24 Negotiation Skills (Kingston)
• Oct. 21 to 24 Building Smart Teams (Regina)
• Oct. 28 to 31 OD Foundations (Banff)
• Nov. 2 to 6 Labour Arbitration Skills (Kingston)
• Nov. 3 to 7 Labour Relations Foundations (Halifax)
• Nov. 9 to 14 Negotiation Skills (Banff)
• Nov. 11 to 13 Organizational Design (Kingston)
• Nov. 17 to 19 Partnership Development (Kingston)
• Nov. 18 to 21 Change Management (Regina)
• Nov. 25 to 27 Organizational Learning (Kingston)
• Dec. 2 to 4 Building Risk Readiness (Kingston)