Prof. Jacob Finkelman

This interview with Jacob Finkelman provides insight into the career of a pioneering figure in Canadian labour law. Born in Russia in 1907 and immigrating to Canada as a young child, Finkelman overcame physical disability (polio affecting his right arm) to become one of Canada’s most influential labour law experts. After completing his education at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School, he was appointed as a junior lecturer at the University of Toronto in 1930, becoming what he believes was the first Jewish professor at a Canadian university.

Finkelman’s most significant contribution was establishing labour law as an academic discipline in Canada, becoming the first professor to teach labour law in a Canadian law school around 1932. His early work “The Right to Trade,” published by University of Toronto Press, provided the foundation for his labour law course. He played a crucial role in drafting Ontario’s early collective bargaining legislation in the late 1930s and served as Registrar of Ontario’s Labour Court before becoming Chairman of the Ontario Labour Relations Board from 1943 to 1967.

In 1967, Finkelman was appointed as the first Chairman of the federal Public Service Staff Relations Board, where he served until mandatory retirement in 1977. Throughout his career, he helped establish the framework for modern Canadian labour relations law and administrative tribunals, contributing significantly to the development of collective bargaining legislation at both provincial and federal levels.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.