Toronto Zoo Strike Costs Toronto $4 Million Posted onOctober 4, 2017June 18, 2020/ Devry Smith Frank LLP Last spring, the Toronto Zoo saw a strike over wages for its workers, which caused the Zoo to remain closed for 5 weeks while an agreement was reached. The agreement gave the workers a 1.25-per-cent wage hike in each of the four years of their contracts and the non-union staff will be closely watched as the Zoo board will decide on what they will receive as a result. Figures were released in a report on attendance and revenue which revealed: The Zoo expected 218,012 visitors Net forecast loss of $3.99 million After they re-opened, they still saw a decrease in attendance of 65,125 due to cancellations of group trips and camps. With the addition of the pandas, attendance hit 1.3 million and is expected to dip once they are transported to Calgary. Overall, August attendance levels were below target, but, still above 2016 levels with a rebound happening in September. Devry Smith Frank LLP is a full service law firm that has a very experienced group of lawyers within our employee and labour law groups. If you are in need of representation, please contact one of our lawyers today or call us directly at 416-449-1400. By: Nicolas Di Nardo “This article is intended to inform. Its content does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon by readers as such. If you require legal assistance, please see a lawyer. Each case is unique and a lawyer with good training and sound judgment can provide you with advice tailored to your specific situation and needs.” Related Posts Posted onSeptember 15, 2020September 29, 2020/ Marty Rabinovitch and Kathrin Gardhouse Temporary Layoffs During COVID-19 – “COVID-19 period” extended until January 2, 2021 On May 29, 2020, Ontario passed Regulation 228/20 under the Employment Standards Act (“ESA”). As a result of this new regulation, non-unionized workers who had their hours reduced or eliminated due to COVID-19 are deemed retroactively to be on Infectious Disease Emergency Leave, which is an unpaid, job-protected leave under the ESA. The regulation applies retroactively from March 1, 2020, and initially [...] Read more Posted onAugust 26, 2020September 29, 2020/ Marty Rabinovitch Enforceability of Termination Clauses and the Latest Blow to Employers – Waksdale v. Swegon North America Inc. (2020 ONCA 391) Termination clauses are often relied upon by employers to define an employee’s severance entitlement when an employee is terminated without cause. These clauses are often drafted to limit an employee’s entitlement to their statutory minimums, which are significantly less than the employee’s entitlement at common law. If an employment contract contains no termination clause or [...] Read more Posted onJuly 20, 2020November 16, 2020/ Marty Rabinovitch Employers Must Discharge Their Onus to Prove Failure to Mitigate A recent 2020 decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court, Virk v. Satnam Education Society of B.C., was a reminder that in wrongful dismissal litigation, the employer has the burden to prove an employee’s failure to mitigate. When an employee has been wrongfully dismissed, they are obligated to act reasonably by taking steps to replace their [...] Read more Posted onJune 25, 2020September 29, 2020/ Marty Rabinovitch and Amar Gill OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY REOPENING ONTARIO –THINGS TO CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING AS BUSINESSES BEGIN TO REOPEN Reopening Ontario The province of Ontario has presented a multi-phase plan to reopen the economy. The province will follow a gradual approach to allow public health officials to monitor and assess conditions before moving onto the next phase. A practical guide to follow from the City of Toronto has been provided for employers, workplaces and [...] Read more Posted onMay 19, 2020September 30, 2020/ Marty Rabinovitch Long-Term Care Homes Ordered to Allow Nurses to Determine Appropriate levels of PPE on the Job This blog is co-written by our former articling student, Janet Son. Long-term care homes (“LTC homes”) remain particularly vulnerable in the country’s fight against COVID-19. Reportedly, LTC homes are connected to 79% of COVID-19 related deaths in Canada. The Ontario Nurses Association (“ONA”) sought an interlocutory injunction to order the following LTC homes: Eatonville Care Centre, Anson Place, Hawthorne Place and Henley Place, to [...] Read more