Generally, labour refers to work in unionized work settings. Labour law is a body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on unionized workers and their employers.
Each province and territory has its own legislation relating to labour law. There are also federal labour laws that apply to workers in federally regulated industries that can include inter-provincial or international transportation, radio, television, postal service, banking and some crown corporations.
Related topics include:
- Workplace health and safety
- Labour Arbitration
- Collective Bargaining
- Human rights in the workplace
- Industrial relations
- Collective Agreements
Texts
- Canadian Labour Arbitration, 5th ed. by Donald J.M. Brown & David M. Beatty Table of Contents Also available online
- Canadian Labour Law by George W. Adams Table of Contents Also available online
- Canadian Labour Relations: Law, Policy and Practice, 2nd ed. by David J. Doorey & Alison Braley-Rattai
- Canadian Master Labour Guide by CCH Canadian Limited Table of Contents
- Clarke’s Canada Industrial Relations Board by Graham J. Clarke. Also available online
- Evidence and Procedure in Canadian Labour Arbitration by Morley R. Gorsky, S. J. Usprich & Gregory J. Brandt. Also available online
- Judicial Review in Labour Law by Richard J. Charney & Thomas E.F. Brady Table of Contents Also available online
- Labour and Employment Law: Cases, Materials and Commentary, 9th ed. by Labour Law Casebook Group Table of Contents Also available online
- Labour Law in Canada, 5th ed. by Donald D. Carter Table of Contents
- Labour Relations Code: Practitioner’s Manual by Alberta Labour Relations Board
- Trade Union Law in Canada by Michael MacNeil, Michael Lynk & Peter Engelmann Table of Contents Also available online
- Tribunal practice and procedure, 2nd ed. by Kandace Bond Wileman et al. Table of Contents
- Willis & Winkler on leading labour cases by Elaine B. Willis & Warren K. Winkler. Also available online
Last revised Apr. 25, 2024
Case Law
For more information on finding cases see our research guide: Finding and Researching Cases
- Alberta Grievance Arbitration Awards – also available online
- Alberta Interest Arbitration Awards
- Alberta Labour Relations Board Reports
- Canadian Cases on Employment Law
- Canadian Cases on Pensions and Benefits
- Canadian Labour Law Cases
- Canadian Labour Law Reporter
- Canadian Labour Relations Boards Reports
- Dismissal and Employment Law Digest
- Labour Arbitration Cases (L.A.C.) – also on Westlaw Canada
- Lancaster Labour Law Reports
- ICLR
- LexisAdvance® Quicklaw®
- vLex Justis
- Westlaw Canada – has access to Canadian Labour Arbitration Summaries (C.L.A.S.) & Labour Cases and Decisions.
- Canada (Federal) – Labour Arbitration Awards – Canlii
- Canlii – carries arbitration awards for most Canadian provinces, coverage varies
Legislation
Federal Acts and Regulations can be found electronically at:
To access or purchase the official version, go to: Alberta King’s Printer
Definitions
Journals
- Index to Canadian Legal Literature (ICLL) available electronically on Westlaw Canada and Lexis Advance® Quicklaw®
- Current Index to Legal Periodicals (CILP) – Available electronically on HeinOnline
Additional full-text articles are available electronically through:
- vLex Justis
- Lexis Advance® Quicklaw®
- Westlaw Canada – contains a collection of Canadian journals and law reviews, as well as all articles and case comments appearing in Carswell law reports.
- HeinOnline – provides full-text access to Canadian and international law reviews and legal journals.
Websites
- NATLEX – a database of national labour, social security and related human rights legislation maintained by the ILO’s International Labour Standards Department. Records in NATLEX provide abstracts of legislation and relevant citation information, and they are indexed by keywords and by subject classifications. NATLEX contains over 80,000 records covering 196 countries and over 160 territories and subdivisions.
- International Labour organization – This site provides a general understanding of how labour law works in each country.
- International Tax and Business Guides (Deloitte) – Scan for the labor relations and labor force section. Includes topics such as employee rights, working hours, wages, benefits, and labor-management relations.
- Labour Studies Index
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