Lawyers who work for the Law Society of BC have voted to be represented by the Professional Employees Association.
Certification of the new bargaining unit follows a slim victory by pro-union lawyers in a representation vote earlier this month: 18 “yes” votes to 16 “no” votes. The vote was triggered by an application for certification to the Labour Relations Board on March 15, 2006.
The new bargaining unit consists of “persons employed as lawyers by the Law Society of BC”. The remaining 110 staff and managers at the Law Society are not, for the time being, included in the PEA bargaining unit or any other union.
The Law Society now expects to start negotiations with PEA to reach a collective agreement for the lawyers.