In a series of recent high-profile cases, Ontario courts have been grappling with the issue of whether employees can use actions commenced under the
Class Proceedings Act, 1992, SO 1992, c 6, to enforce overtime claims under the
Canada Labour Code, RSC 1985, c L.2. The decision in
McCracken v Canadian National Railway Company, 2010 ONSC 4520, holds that statutory employment obligations are implied terms in an employee's employment contract, and therefore may be the subject of claims asserted in a class action. This decision is in direct contrast to the earlier decision in
Fulawka v Bank of Nova Scotia, 2010 ONSC 1148, and, as a result, the law on this issue remains in flux. Published in
Volume 13, No. 1 of Work Matters, the newsletter of the Labour and Employment Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association.