Professional Profile
FOr THe
LOVe OF
LabOur
LaW
Former journalist turned
lawyer finds challenges
in representing today's
unionized workers.
by Vawn Himmelsbach
Some people may thinK journal-
''
ism and the law are like oil and vinegar.
But for Glenn Wheeler, in-house counsel
for the Canadian Office and Professional
Employees Union, the two blend perfectly.
As a former journalist covering Queen's
Park in Toronto, Wheeler's experience reporting on labour issues eventually led him
to his current role with COPE Ontario.
"People outside our profession don't
know how much of law is writing — much
being a staff member of a union, i have a voice
in the debate about the future of unions and
how they have to innovate and change their
practices, how they have to get with the program in a world
where people have a more individual orientation rather
than a collective orientation.
''
GLeNN WHeeLer, COPe Ontario
canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse February 2014 43