The Beginning
Prior to 2005, Canada’s Crown counsel with the Department of Justice were not legally permitted to unionize and bargain collectively. However, a small number of federal public sector lawyers employed by independent agencies (approximately 100) were unionized and had been represented by the Professional Institute of the Public Service (PIPSC) for about 30 years.
The legal landscape changed on April 1, 2005, when the Public Service Labour Relations Act (“PSLRA”) came into force and, for the first time, allowed the vast majority of Canada's Crown counsel to unionize. The AJC applied to become the exclusive bargaining agent for all eligible Crown counsel on the day that the PSLRA came into force.
The AJC was certified on April 28, 2006, as the exclusive bargaining agent for the approximately 2,600 lawyers and prosecutors who work in the federal public sector, including the lawyers who had previously been represented by PIPSC.