He/Him
Ron Franklin is a lawyer and oversees the work of Franklin Law, a social justice-oriented, employment law, human rights law, and labour law firm focused on working with, advising, representing, and training employees and other workers. He has been a worker all of his life, and this simple truth has shaped his experiences, his world view, the work that he does, the clients that he represents, and his decision to follow his heart and open up a law firm committed to fighting injustice at work.
While the vast majority of Ron’s practice has, and always will be, focused on holding employers accountable, he believes that an accountable Union movement is a stronger, more effective, and more viable Union movement, and has increasingly focused on advising and representing unionized employees in precarious situations, and helping them to resolve difficult disputes with their Unions.
Ron has appeared before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO), Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal WSIAT), Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB), Small Claims Court/Superior Court of Justice, Ontario Court of Justice, Federal Court, and Ontario Court of Appeal. He has also been involved in grievance/arbitration proceedings, discipline and capacity proceedings before professional regulatory bodies such as the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Ontario College of Nurses, and in judicial review proceedings before the Divisional Court.
Ron prides himself on staying active in the community. He was part of the Ontario Bar Association’s Wrongful Dismissal Task Force, a member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, a member of the Workers’ Action Centre’s Board of Directors, a member of Osgoode Hall Law School’s Alumni Board, a volunteer with the African Canadian Legal Clinic, a member of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario’s Practice Advisory Committee, and the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators. He has written employment and human rights law columns for Pride News Magazine and the Canadian Immigrant Magazine and has appeared as a guest on CKLN’s “Saturday Morning Live” radio show, on Joy 1250’s “Life Matters” internet radio show and on the Sun News Network. He speaks to law students and other students interested in pursuing social justice careers, and has delivered a number of presentations, workshops, and courses on human rights, access to justice, health and safety, and Union’s duty of fair representation. He is currently a member of the Association of Human Rights Lawyers, the ARCH Disability Law Centre, the Workers’ Action Centre, and the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers. He is also the Executive Secretary to Unifor’s Public Review Board (PRB).
