From our early days, SGM has been committed to working with and representing unions and other progressive organizations in regard to a wide range of public interest issues and campaigns. This has meant working closely with clients to respond to pressing challenges and also to formulate and carry forward strategic endeavours to enhance public services and expand the framework of law and policy for progressive social, economic and environmental and cultural purposes.
SGM is particularly involved in efforts to resist the privatization of public services and resources. For instance, SGM represented two unions who successfully challenged the privatization of Ontario Hydro. We have also headed off schemes to privatize municipal water and sanitation services, and SGM is actively engaged in fighting to preserve the integrity of Medicare, Canada’s most important social program, which is under increasing pressure from for-profit private clinics and public-private partnership hospitals.
SGM also successfully fought the expansion of the Toronto Island airport, and represented a coalition of unions and public interest organizations in seeking to hold the federal Minister of Health accountable for enforcement of the Canada Health Act. In addition, SGM represented an ad hoc coalition of leading Canadian and international groups working to preserve biodiversity in a case before the Supreme Court of Canada, Schmeiser v. Monsanto, which involved the privatization of life itself.
On other fronts, SGM filed the first complaint with the Canadian International Trade Tribunal on behalf of a trade union seeking to safeguard the jobs of garment workers from imports from countries that have no regard for basic labour rights. We also represented the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and the Council of Canadians in successfully defending the delivery of public postal services from a NAFTA based challenge by United Parcel Service, one of world’s largest courier companies.
SGM has also been involved in drafting an international treaty on cultural diversity, as well as a federal bill to establish a pan-Canadian child care program which passed both first and second reading with support from the NDP, the Bloc and the Liberal parties.
