Although the ‘Me Too’ movement was founded in 2006, victims of sexual harassment did not capture the public's interest until 2017 when the #metoo hashtag went viral.  The courage and resilience of victims from high profile cases, along with the movement’s main message of “empowerment through empathy,” have urged us all to think about the victim’s perspective.  As a result, there is heightened vigilance for predatory behaviour in the workplace.  While workplace harassment has long been a concern of managers and unions, there is a renewed call for understanding the legal requirements of investigating and responding to situations involving workplace harassment and bullying.  Please join us, as an expert panel discusses the practical knowledge required to appropriately recognize warning signs, investigate and respond to allegations, and protect complainants and witnesses while safeguarding the rights of the accused.  Leah Schatz, Q.C., employer counsel and Rick Engel, Q.C., union counsel, join Alma Wiebe, Q.C., an experienced workplace harassment investigator, in a panel designed to apprise the labour relations community of an emerging workplace issue.

Panel Biographies

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 Alma Wiebe, Q.C.

Alma graduated with a Bachelor of Law in 1978 and has been practicing law in Saskatchewan since her admission to the Bar in 1979. Her practice, for many years, consisted primarily of litigation. In recent years she has shifted her emphasis from litigation to workplace harassment and misconduct investigations, labour arbitrations, coroner’s inquests and administrative tribunal work.  She is Past-President of the Law Society of Saskatchewan, served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons as well as being sessional at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law. She is a professional discipline chair, an Inquest Coroner and is active as a volunteer in her community. She has conducted numerous harassment, professional conduct and other workplace investigations for institutional clients and professional governing bodies.

 

Rick A. Engel, Q.C.

Formerly of Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, Rick Engel obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), majoring in Political Science from the University of Saskatchewan in 1982, and a Juris Doctor’s degree from Queen’s University in 1983.  He practiced law in Swift Current, Saskatoon, and Regina before joining the firm in 1989.  He became a partner Gerrand Rath Johnson LLP in 1993 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2004.  Rick has developed a highly concentrated practice in Labour Law and Human Rights litigation and is current solicitor of record for a number of major unions in Saskatchewan.   Rick has been union counsel on a number of significant public sector lawsuits and appeals.  In 2014/2015, he was co-counsel on behalf of the SFL and numerous unions at the Supreme Court of Canada on the first case from the Court to recognize the right to strike under s. 2(d), Freedom of Association, of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  Rick is recognized as one of the leading union-aligned labour lawyers in Saskatchewan.  He known for fashioning new and novel arguments in motions and hearings before the Courts, the Labour Relations Board and numerous Arbitration Boards. 

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Leah Schatz, Q.C.

Leah practices as a partner with MLT Aikins LLP, primarily in the area of labour and employment law. She advises on issues related to the workplace, and acts in a variety of roles in collective bargaining, occupational health and safety, and human rights, including representing employers as chief spokesperson during collective bargaining and conducting workplace investigations. Her practice is focused primarily in the health and public sectors, as well as in the area of Aboriginal business and economic development. She has lectured extensively throughout Saskatchewan, and also presented throughout Canada on labour and employment issues affecting workplaces. As counsel, she appears regularly before numerous administrative boards and tribunals, including the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board and the Canada Industrial Relations Board. She has appeared before all levels of the Saskatchewan courts, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada.