Ella Bedard
Lawyer
- Location:
Toronto
- Phone:
On leave
Biography
**Ella Bedard is on a two-year leave of absence.
Ella Bedard helps trade unions and individual employees enforce their rights at work. In her developing labour practice, Ella represents unions in both the public and private sectors in cases heard by arbitrators, other administrative tribunals, and the courts.
Ella’s commitment to workers’ rights formed during the 1997 teachers’ strikes, where she marched the picket lines alongside her elementary school educators to demand better working and learning conditions. Following that early foray into the labour movement, Ella worked for two public sector unions, completed a Masters certification in Labour Studies at the City University of New York, and worked the Labour Beat as a reporter for rabble.ca.
Ella sharpened her understanding of worker’s rights at Osgoode Hall Law School, where she received two scholarships for academic excellence. She worked for three semesters in the Workers’ Rights division of Parkdale Community Legal Services. While on the steering committee of the Osgoode Hall Law Union, Ella organized with other students to demand better working conditions for teaching assistants and food service workers on campus by providing strike support and acting as a legal observer on picket lines.
Ella summered and articled at Goldblatt Partners before returning as an associate in 2019. Outside of the office she enjoys lake swimming and campaigning for Fight for $15 and Fairness.