Fired lawyer sues city
Wrongful dismissal, breach of contract alleged
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/02/2015 (4132 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A lawyer formerly employed by the City of Winnipeg has launched a wrongful dismissal and breach of contract suit.
Markus Buchart is seeking unspecified special, aggravated and punitive damages and costs for what he said was his sudden dismissal from the city’s law department a week before Christmas.
Buchart, 52, had worked as a lawyer in the city’s legal department for five years before his termination Dec. 18, 2014.
Buchart alleges his dismissal was without cause and conducted in a manner that was “malicious, high-handed and unfair and constituted bad faith.”
The allegations have not been proven in court. A statement of defence has not yet been filed. A civic spokesman said the city would not comment on the matter.
No trial date has been set.
Buchart was the founding leader of the Green Party of Manitoba from 1998 to 2005.
Buchart could not be reached for comment. His lawyer said he would not be making a statement about the legal action.
While many white-collar workers at city hall are members of the Winnipeg Association of Public Service Officers, Buchart did not belong to that or any other union, and has no recourse to the grievance/arbitration process available to unionized civic employees.
In documents filed in court, Buchart said he was employed with the city on a verbal contract and was entitled to a compensation package that included an amount equivalent to his annual salary of $96,000, five weeks paid vacation, and benefits coverage for an unspecified period of time.
The documents state as a result of “the timing and manner in which the dismissal was carried out, (Buchart) has suffered significant mental distress and aggravation and therefore claims entitlement to aggravated damages.”
aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca