LAO Lawyers meet The Society of Energy Professionals

The Society was founded in the mid-1940s and evolved from a specialized association representing energy professionals to an organization representing a broad spectrum of professionals across the province. Over the past eight decades, The Society has developed a distinctive approach to labour negotiations that focuses on developing solutions rather than creating conflict.

The Society has more than 40 highly trained and experienced full-time staff and elected officials, including three lawyers. In addition, The Society is affiliated with the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), who have been representing professionals since 1918 and currently act on behalf of 80,000 members across North America. The IFPTE represents professionals of all stripes, including lawyers and judges.

The Society has the desire, reach and resources to service our colleagues across the province. Most importantly they have an excellent reputation for negotiating first class contracts and utilizing mediation/arbitration where possible to resolve disputes.

The Society and its membership unwaveringly supported our campaign for collective bargaining rights. The Society continues to meeting the needs of LAO Lawyers. They have a long history of working with employees in regulated professions, and understand our relationship to the Law Society of Upper Canada. They are also experienced working with professionals who are employed by agencies which are directed or funded by the Province of Ontario.

By joining The Society, LAO lawyers now have the ability to address workplace concerns as an organized group with the backing of Society resources and expertise. Through the process of collective bargaining, greater transparency and accountability on important issues such as fair job competitions, relocations and layoffs will be outlined step-by-step in the collective agreement.

In the event you feel as though you have not been treated fairly, you can call your Society representative – an individual whose job it is to represent your interests – and you will have access to an effective dispute resolution mechanism and will be able to enforce the policies negotiated within the collective agreement.

As members of the Society, LAO lawyers better situation to honour our professional and ethical obligations by providing us with an added sense of job security should we need to speak out as a group or individually.

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