Raija Pulkkinen is a member of SGM’s research team and is based in the firm’s Ottawa office. She joined the firm in 2005 after practising with Engelmann Gottheil. 

Raija provides advice and representation to unions and individuals in the areas of human rights, labour, employment law and pay equity. She has a particular interest in cases involving an interaction between labour and human rights. Raija has assisted the firm’s litigators with cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, and performs Supreme Court agency work on behalf of a number of clients. Raija also acted as Commission counsel in the Cornwall Public Inquiry.

Raija is also an accomplished legal researcher, and has written many articles and prepared presentations on a variety of human rights and labour topics for various conference proceedings.  In addition, she has prepared training and educational materials, and has written submissions to the Pay Equity Task Force on behalf of union clients.

Raija has worked on a number of notable cases, including the following:

• Bell Canada v. Canadian Telephone Employees Association, [2003] 1 S.C.R. 884
• Canada (House of Commons) v. Vaid, [2005] 1 S.C.R. 667
• Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Canadian Human Rights Commission v. Canada Post, [2005] C.H.R.D. No. 25

Raija received her law degree from the University of Western Ontario and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2003.  She also has a bachelor of arts degree from Algoma University College. Raija is a member of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers and the Canadian Bar Association.