Waiting for the other shoe to drop, I found this post buried on another thread. Maybe it helps someone.
Depending on your age and how long you've been employed, companies like this use mergers to shed older employees to get out of retirement packages and long term obligations. If you are being let go and your job is being filled by a younger individual you may have a human rights complaint. Do your research, keep tabs and DOCUMENTATION on your former position and follow to see how it is filled and by whom. Keep in touch through email with your old colleagues who remain at the company. Be prepared for the company to say that they did away with your position in the merger and that it was not filled - their most common and predictable response according to information readily available on the internet. As an aged employee, the company has an obligation to accommodate you otherwise they could be discriminating against you on the grounds of age.
Since this is a federally regulated employer, you have 1 year from the time of your termination to file a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Definitely seek a lawyer who specializes in Human Rights if you feel you have been targeted.
The Canadian Human Rights Commission has VERY broad powers, much like Labor Canada that is mentioned in another post on this thread, and much more power than civil courts.
There are a number of reasons companies like this have a wall of lawyers surrounding them - they view their COBE nothing more than a PR document and the further up the management structure you go - the more disdain they have for employees in the trenches. Now you know why you never get invited to the executive Christmas party and why they never attend yours. The article below will give you some insight into how large employers in Canada think.
http://www.canadianlawyermag.com/5797/Why-RBC-doesnt-rush-to-settle-dismissal-cases.html
http://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/eng
Post ID: @MkW7BiG-1tcm
Waiting for the other shoe to drop, I found this post buried on another thread. Maybe it helps someone. Good luck to us all.