MAY/JUNE 2018
38
INHOUSE
Bench, city solicitor for the City of Mississau-
ga. "The cost of implementation is our biggest
concern, as there is already considerable pres-
sure on municipal budgets to deliver services
without an increase to property tax. Munici-
palities are constrained in how we can raise
revenue, and property tax is the key tool avail-
able to us. This may result in municipalities
hiring less part-time/seasonal staff."
On the one hand, part-time and volunteer
firelighters were exempt and for many munic-
ipalities that is a huge victory — even the City
of Ottawa relies on volunteer firefighters.
Bench also sees giving the Ontario La-
bour Relations Board the authority to amal-
gamate bargaining units within a single em-
ployer a concern as it takes away the right
of an employee to choose their representa-
tion. "The organizing of smaller bargain-
ing units that later consolidate with a larger
bargaining unit would fail to take into con-
sideration the choice of employees," she says.
"Employee rights are overshadowed, which
significantly alter their status in the union
by impacting their seniority, which is a fun-
damental aspect of union membership."
IH
TOP LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT
AND
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY BOUTIQUES
AS DETERMINED BY CANADIAN LAWYER MAGAZINE.
TOP 10 Intellectual Property Boutiques
Listed alphabetically
Aitken Klee LLP
Toronto, Ottawa
aitkenklee.com
Aitken Klee LLP was established in 2013
when David Aitken and Marcus Klee left
a large law firm in Ottawa to set up their
own IP litigation boutique, following
their victory in the 2012 Supreme Court
of Canada decision holding the patent
for Viagra invalid. The firm expanded to
Toronto in 2014 with the addition of IP
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