Was employee illegally fired?

Re: “Nunavut Tourism fires web-logging staffer”

I happen to have seen this blog before it came down. I liked it. And in my humble opinion, unless Ms. Cholmondeley’s contract with Nunavut Tourism specified that she was not to publish anything about Nunavut without permission of her employer, then her right to free speech has been trampled on by Nunavut Tourism and I for one hope she both takes advice from a lawyer and appropriate action.

I don’t know how Nunavut Tourism can fire an employee based on an anonymous complaint — it’s kind of suicidal on their part.

Anyone fired on the basis of an anonymous complaint should file a grievance — or if non-unionized, hire a lawyer.

Her case would probably be iron-clad had she not mentioned exactly what employer she worked for on her website, but still, even with that, the employer would have a tough time winning this case, unless they could show she had violated an employer policy that she was clearly aware of, or a clause in her contract.

Sounds to me that her employment has been illegally terminated. There’s far to much of that kind of employer attitude in the North.

Nunavut Tourism’s apparent attempt to both quash free speech in a democratic society and to cover-up the legitimate, and personal, opinions of a citizen brings more disrepute to the territory that Ms. Cholmondeley’s honest and forthright musings on life in Iqaluit.

George Lessard
Former President
NEU Arviat Local 009
Fort Smith