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www.lawtimesnews.com To the Board of Directors of Legal Aid Ontario - An Open Letter It has been well over two years since we fi rst requested that Legal Aid Ontario meet with us to discuss recognition of our right to collective bargaining. Since then, we have made extensive efforts to advance our cause, including by holding press conferences and rallies, obtaining the support of leaders in civil society, and meeting with the CEO of Legal Aid Ontario as well as the Attorney General for Ontario. On January 16, 2015, the Supreme Court released a decision in Mounted Police Association of Ontario v. Canada (Attorney General), [2015] 1 SCR 3. The Supreme Court's decision held that "The Section 2(d) guarantee of freedom of association protects a meaningful process of collective bargaining that provides employees with a degree of choice and independence suffi cient to enable them to determine and pursue their collective interests." In its submissions to the Supreme Court of Canada, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (of which LAO Board Member John McCamus is Chair), emphasized that freedom of association: 'can only be properly protected when the workers' association is freely chosen by them… the section 2(d) freedom is not just about RCMP members forming associa- tions but that the association that is used to represent their collective workplace goals must be independent and freely chosen.' The Supreme Court of Canada has now accepted the CCLA's submissions. Other lawyers in the public service, including Crown Attorneys and lawyers working directly for government ministries have the right to collectively bargain. However, Legal Aid Ontario has refused to enter into collective bargaining with the bargaining agent freely chosen by its staff lawyers. As a result, the staff lawyers at Legal Aid Ontario and their chosen bargaining agent have been forced to go to court to enforce the basic democratic Charter rights of the staff lawyers. We hope that the Board of Legal Aid Ontario will reconsider its approach to the staff lawyers' request to engage in a process of meaningful collective bargaining with their freely chosen representative. We remain committed to this cause. Sincerely, Campaign Committee LAO Staff Lawyers' Organizing Campaign info@laolawyers.ca www.laolawyers.ca SocietyEnergy_LT_Jan17_16.indd 1 2016-01-11 10:11 AM