The Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic (CSALC) has voted to join the Society of United Professionals. The new bargaining unit includes all employees as well as lawyers.
Im pleased to welcome the first legal clinic into our union, said Scott Travers, President of the Society of United Professionals. Were happy to have the CSALC employees join the growing number of legal professionals in our membership.
CSALC became aware of the Society of United Professionals through the unions campaign to represent Legal Aid Ontario lawyers. The success of that campaign motivated the legal clinic to consider unionization for themselves.
We approached the Society of United Professionals and choose them because of the unions reputation in the legal community and the level of support we received during our organizing effort, said Jenny Quan, Community Legal Worker. Were excited to be union members and looking forward to our bargaining relationship with our employer with United Professionals standing with us.
The Society of United Professionals is looking for new opportunities to represent new groups of workers. Interested employees can contact United Professionals organizer Michelle LeBlanc, leblancm@thesociety.ca, to discuss making their working life better.
CSALC is a community based legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario which provides free legal services to low income, non-English speaking clients from the Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian communities in Toronto.
The Society of United Professionals (formerly The Society of Energy Professionals) is a growing union of 8,000 professionals in Ontario, including engineers, scientists, supervisors and lawyers. A democratic organization, members of the Society of United Professionals vote on everything from the unions constitution and dues increases to collective agreements and policies. Membership in the Society is voluntary.