Hello Canadian Stuttering Association (CSA) members and our wider community. I am your newest Employment Advocacy Coordinator. I am a life-long stutterer. While the severity of my disfluency has improved with the benefit of therapy, my stutter remains.
I am happy to be part of the CSA. I was part of the organization back when it operated as the Canadian Association for People Who Stutter (CAPS). In 2007, I attended my first CAPS conference in Toronto and met many amazing people from across the country in a variety of careers and occupations. You may have seen me at the CSA’s 2023 conference in Ottawa where I participated in the Stuttering on the Job: Navigating Workplace Realities panel.
In addition to my Bachelor of Civil Law / Juris Doctor degree (McGill), I hold Master of Public Administration (Dalhousie) and Master of Industrial Relations (Queens) degrees.
Before going to law school, I worked in human resources (management-side labour relations). My duties included administering and negotiating the collective agreement, providing advice and guidance to managers (including on discrimination and the Duty to Accommodate), delivering training, responding to grievances, and assisting our lawyers at arbitration. I previously worked for the Government of the Northwest Territories, Government of Canada (Canada Revenue Agency and Canada Border Services Agency), University of Calgary, and City of Toronto.
I currently work as a litigator, practicing management-side labour and employment law for the Government of Canada (Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada). I represent management in all matters relating to employment (grievances, complaints, and judicial reviews) before the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board and the Federal Courts. My job is not 9-5, my hours and workload fluctuate around my hearings, but I love being a litigator. My job also requires a lot of travel, and I am fortunate to journey across the country. My stutter is not an impediment to my role as an advocate for my client.
For me, this role involves educating employers and human resources professionals about stuttering and addressing misconceptions and negative stereotypes about stuttering and employment. This involves advocating best practices to foster inclusivity in the workplace, including for recruitment and retention. I further see this position as advocating for persons who stutter. I can share my knowledge and experience to address employment matters.
I hope to address employment-related topics in CSA newsletters. If you have a general, employment-related question, please feel free to send it to me at: mathew.yaworski@stutter.ca I will provide answers in newsletters. Do not worry, I will respect any privacy concerns you may have and will not disclose your personal information without your prior consent. Please note I cannot answer questions relating to specific situations or provide you with legal advice.