Ryan co-leads the firm’s construction labour law practice group.
Ryan’s practice areas include labour relations and construction law. He has specific expertise in certification applications, defending against displacement/raid applications and certification-related unfair labour practice complaints, including applications for interim relief during organizing campaigns and applications for remedial certification.
Ryan’s notable cases include acting on behalf of an organizing campaign to unionize gig workers. Ryan routinely delivers presentations on topics including the gig economy, human rights accommodation and new developments in labour law. Ryan regularly provides educational presentations to clients, including recent presentations on the internal review of grievances, notetaking for labour relations matters, and training for organizers involved in OLRB proceedings.
Ryan has been a partner with the firm since 2017 and first joined Cavalluzzo as an associate in 2009 after summering and articling with the firm.
Ryan graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School where he received several academic awards, including class prizes in Torts, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Studies, and the Nick McCombie prize for the best paper on the subject of workers’ rights. While at Osgoode Hall, Ryan spent time in the Workers’ Rights Division at Parkdale Community Legal Services and worked as a research assistant in the areas of access to justice and Aboriginal sovereignty. Ryan brings to his law practice a strong background and commitment to workers’ rights and organizing, social justice advocacy and social movement lawyering
Ryan has more than 150 reported labour board and arbitration decisions on CanLII including more than 20 decisions deemed by the Ontario Labour Relations Board to be "significant" and worthy of inclusion in its Monthly Highlights Newsletter, including:
- FOODORA INC. DBA FOODORA; OLRB File No.: 1346-19-R; Dated February 25, 2020; – represented the CUPW in certifying the first bargaining unit of "gig workers" in North America
- FAIRMONT ROYAL YORK HOTEL; OLRB Board No. 1006-18-IO; Dated August 7, 2018, - successfully defeated a request from Unifor to overturn a ratification vote in the context of a complex displacement application
- HONEYWELL LIMITED; OLRB File No. 0132-15-JD & 0353-15-JD; Dated January 18, 2016; successfully defended the jurisdiction of a public sector union following the merger of a large public hospital in London.
- COTTON INC.; OLRB File No. 3254-13-U & 3255-13-R; (Court File No. 554/15); Dated: May 30, 2016 – obtained remedial certification of industrial bargaining unit following repeated attempts to dismiss a key inside organizer. Remedial certification upheld upon judicial review.
- MOFFAT EXCAVATING AND UTILITIES LTD.; OLRB File No. 2581-14-R; Dated August 17, 2015 – successfully defended a trade union accused of intimidating and misleading card signers.
- 2220742 ONTARIO LTD. OPERATING AS BRONTE LANDSCAPE AND CONSTRUCTION; OLRB Case No: 1167-14-M; Dated: September 30, 2014; -- obtained interim reinstatement of workers during an organizing campaign
- SYSCO FINE MEATS OF TORONTO, A DIVISION OF SYSCO CANADA, INC.; OLRB File No. 3484-11-R; 3662-11-U; 3815-11-U; Dated February 25, 2013 – successfully certified industrial unit, including convincing the OLRB that trade union's bargaining unit, which excluded temporary agency employees, was appropriate.
- JENNMAR CANADA; OLRB File No. 2172-13-M; Dated November 14, 2013; obtained interim reinstatement of workers during an organizing campaign
- BAYSHORE HOME HEALTH; OLRB File No. 0144-09-PS; Dated August 30, 2012 – decision under PSLRTA determining that contracting out of homecare nurses was a transaction covered by PSLRTA and ordering vote.
