The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB; , LCRTESPF) is an independent
quasi-judicial tribunal that administers the
collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The ...
and "grievance
adjudication systems" in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
's
federal public service and in
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. ...
.
It formed on 1 November 2014 through the merger of the former Public Service Labour Relations Board and the former Public Service Staffing Tribunal.
It resolves
labour relations
Labor relations is a field of study that can have different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. In an international context, it is a subfield of labor history that studies the human relations with regard to work in its broadest ...
issues and staffing complaints among federal public servants through adjudication and mediation.
History
The Public Service Labour Relations Board () was an independent quasi-judicial statutory tribunal that reported to
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. ...
through the
Minister of Public Services and Procurement. It was responsible for administering the collective bargaining and grievance adjudication systems in the federal public service and in Parliament. Moreover, by agreement with the
Government of the Yukon, the Board also administered the collective bargaining and grievance adjudication systems under the ''Yukon Education Staff Relations Act'' and the ''Yukon Public Service Staff Relations Act''.
In 2003, a new ''Public Service Labour Relations Act'' was passed by Parliament (S.C. 2003, c.22), coming into force on 1 April 2005. In 2014, the Board was merged with the Public Service Staffing Tribunal under the ''Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board Act'' to form the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. As such, today's Board is responsible for the duties that were previously dealt with by the former tribunals under the ''Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board Act'' and the ''Public Service Employment Act'', respectively.
Organization
Members
The Board is composed of a chairperson, up to 2 vice-chairpersons, up to 12 full-time members, and additional part-time members as required. The
Governor in Council appoints full-time Board members for terms of no longer than 5 years and part-time Board members for terms of up to 3 years, and may be re-appointed any number of times.
, full-time members include:
* Catherine Ebbs, Chairperson — term ending 2021 April 8
* David P. Olsen, Vice-Chairperson — term ending 2021 April 29
* Margaret T.A. Shannon, Vice-Chairperson — term ending 2021 April 29
* Nathalie Daigle — term ending 2022 December 13
* Bryan R. Gray — term ending 2025 July 5
* Chantal Homier-Nehmé — term ending 2025 September 7
* John G. Jaworski — term ending 2022 November 5
* Steven B. Katkin — term ending 2021 April 30
* Marie-Claire Perrault — term ending 2025 July 12
* Nancy Rosenberg — term ending 2023 September 3
* James Knopp — term ending 2023 September 3
* David Orfald — term ending 2023 September 3
Legislation and clients
Under the ''Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board Act'', the Board is responsible for interpreting and applying the following legislation:
* ''Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act'' (FPSLRA) —
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The ...
and grievance adjudication systems for the
federal public sector and
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. ...
, as well as
RCMP members and reservists.
* ''Public Service Employment Act'' (PSEA) — Complaints related to internal appointments, appointment revocations, and lay-offs in the federal public service.
* ''
Canadian Human Rights Act'' —
Human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
issues in grievances and complaints under FPSLRA and PSEA.
* ''Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act'' — Collective bargaining and grievance adjudication for the institutions of Parliament.
* ''Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act'' —
Pay equity complaints in the federal public service. This Act is to be repealed and replaced by the ''Pay Equity Act'', which received
royal assent
Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...
on 13 December 2018 but is not yet in force.
*
Canada Labour Code, Part II — Complaints related to
workplace health and safety and reprisals in the federal public service.
The
Treasury Board of Canada, employing over 180,000 public servants in 27
bargaining units, is the main employer covered by the Board's mandate. The majority (60%) of
unionized
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
federal public service employees are represented by the
Public Service Alliance of Canada, while 23% are represented by the
Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada as the second-largest bargaining agent, and 17% are represented by the other 25 bargaining units.
See also
*
Civil Service Act 1918
References
External links
Official Site
{{authority control
Federal departments and agencies of Canada
Canadian tribunals
Labour relations in Canada