515, 1811 – 4th Street SW
Calgary AB  T2S 1W2
Tel: (403) 803-4661
Email: allenponak@gmail.com

801 University Drive
Saskatoon SK  S7N 0J5
Tel: (403) 803-4661

149 Collier Street
Toronto ON  M4W 1M2
Tel: 647 202-5772

Primary Jurisdictions

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario

Arbitration Practice

In practice since 1983; also active in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Northwest Territories.

Education

B.A., 1970, McGill University; M.L.I.R., 1971, Michigan State; Ph.D., 1977, University of Wisconsin.

Background

Special Lecturer, College of Law, University of Saskatchewan, 2013-2016; Professor of Industrial Relations, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, 1982-2006.

Standard Fees for Cancellation

$1,800/day if notification is received 14 days or less prior to hearing; $1,250/day if notification is received between 15 and 45 days prior to hearing; $750/day if notification is received between 46 and 90 days prior to hearing; $500 file fee (only charge) if notification is received 90+ days prior to hearing.

Lists and Panels

Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players’ Association; Canada Post – Canadian Union of Postal Workers national urban contract (Ontario region); Finning International – Machinists; Calgary Cooperative Limited and Union of Calgary Co-op Employees; Government of Northwest Territories and Public Service Alliance of Canada; Global Television and Unifor; Nutrien Corporation and United Steelworkers of America; Canadian Football League and Canadian Football League Players’ Association; McNally Robinson Books and United Food and Commercial Workers Union; Evraz Wasco Pipe Protection Corporation and United Steelworkers of America; Ontario Police Arbitration Commission.

Related Adjudication Experience

Vice-Chair, Ontario Public Service Grievance Board, 2020 to date. Vice-Chair, Public Service Labour Relations Board (federal) – 2007-2012.

Associations

Canadian Industrial Relations Association; International Labour and Employment Association; National Academy of Arbitrators; International Advisory Board, Arbitration Council Foundation of Cambodia.

Arbitration Awards on CanLII

For Arbitrator Ponak’s awards on CanLII, click here. Note: CanLII, the Canadian Legal Information Institute, offers free access to the full text of recent awards by this arbitrator.

Related Publications

Ponak, A., Jeffrey Sack, and Brian Burkett (eds.) (2012), Labour Arbitration Yearbook. Toronto: Lancaster House.
Timur, A., Taras, D., and Ponak, A. (2012), “‘Shopping for Voice’: Do Pre-Existing Non-Union Representation Plans Matter When Employees Unionize?” 50:2 British Journal of Industrial Relations pp. 214-238.
Taras, D., Steel, P., and Ponak, A. (2011), “Personality and Time Delay Among Arbitrators,” in Staudohar, P. (ed.), Arbitration 2010: The Steelworkers Trilogy at 50, Washington, DC: BNA Publishing.
Gunderson, M., Ponak, A., and Taras, D. G., (eds.). (2005). Union-Management Relations in Canada. (5th edition). Toronto: Pearson Publishing.
Adell, B., Grant, M., and Ponak, A. (2001), Strikes in Essential Services. Kingston: Queen’s IRC Press.

Arbitrators are invited to send awards to decisions@lancasterhouse.com. In an effort to facilitate access to justice, Lancaster House forwards all awards it receives from arbitrators to CanLII.