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SECTION III–SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

3.1 List of Supplementary Information Tables

Table 1: Green Procurement

3.2 Other Items of Interest

3.2.1 Organizational Information

3.2.1.2 Mandate, Role and Responsibilities

The Constitution Act, 1867, provides that provincial jurisdiction extends over ”Property and Civil Rights.“ As a result of judicial decisions in the early 1900s, this has been interpreted to mean that labour and employment relations are primarily regulated by the provinces. The Constitution, however, assigns exclusive jurisdiction over specific sectors of the economy to Parliament, and as such, the federal government has seen fit to enact laws regulating employment matters within those sectors that have constitutionally been reserved to it. Labour laws governing the federal private sector are contained in the Canada Labour Code, which is divided into three parts:

Part I–Industrial Relations
Part II–Occupational Health and Safety
Part III–Labour Standards

Part I of the Canada Labour Code establishes the framework for collective bargaining, the acquisition and termination of bargaining rights, unfair labour practices and protection of the public interest in the event of work stoppages affecting essential services.

With the coming into force on January 1, 1999 of Bill C-19, an Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (Part I), R.S. 1998, c. 26, significant changes were made to the Code in an effort to modernize it and improve the collective bargaining process for federally regulated industries. The Act replaced the Canada Labour Relations Board with the Canada Industrial Relations Board as an independent, representational, quasi-judicial tribunal responsible for the interpretation and application of Part I, Industrial Relations, and certain provisions of Part II, Occupational Health and Safety, of the Code.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board’s mandate is to contribute to and to promote effective industrial relations in any work, undertaking or business that falls within the authority of the Parliament of Canada.

In support of its mandate, the Board established the following vision and values:

decisions on applications and complaints provided in a fair, expeditious and economical manner; successful resolution of cases through appropriate dispute resolution mechanisms; an involved and well-informed labour relations community; effective regulations and practices developed through consultation with clients. In the discharge of its mandate and the exercise of its powers, the Board aims to be progressive and innovative, efficient and effective, open and accountable. The working environment at the Board promotes learning and development, harmony, teamwork and respect.

The Board’s role is to exercise its powers in accordance with the Preamble and provisions of the Code, which state that Parliament considers ”the development of good industrial relations to be in the best interests of Canada in ensuring a just share of the fruits of progress to all.“ To that end, the Board aims to be responsive to the needs of the industrial relations community across Canada.

3.2.1.3 Departmental Organization

The Board, as provided for in the Code, is comprised of the Chairperson, two or more full time Vice-Chairpersons, not more than six full-time members (of which not more than three represent employers and not more than three represent employees) and any other part time members (representing, in equal numbers, employees and employers) necessary to discharge the responsibilities of the Board. All are appointed by the Governor in Council: the Chairperson and the Vice Chairpersons for terms not to exceed five years, the members for terms not to exceed three years. (Information on Board members can be found at http://www.cirb-ccri.gc.ca/about-apropos/members-membres/index_eng.asp.)

The Chairperson is the chief executive officer of the Board. The provisions of the Code assign to the Chairperson supervision over, and direction of, the work of the Board, including:

• the assignment and reassignment to panels of matters that the Board is seized of;
• the composition of panels and the assignment of Vice Chairpersons to preside over panels;
• the determination of the date, time and place of hearing;
• the conduct of the Board’s work;
• the management of the Board’s internal affairs;
• the duties of the staff of the Board.

The Board’s headquarters are located in the National Capital Region. Support to the Board is provided by the Executive Director, reporting directly to the Chairperson. The Executive Director is responsible for regional operations, case management, client and corporate services, financial services and human resources. The Legal Services Branch provides legal assistance as required by the Board and is headed by a general counsel who reports directly to the Chairperson of the Board.

The Board also has five regional offices in Dartmouth, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, with a satellite office in Winnipeg. These offices are staffed by labour relations professionals and case management teams. Each regional office is headed by a regional director, who reports to the Executive Director in Ottawa.

3.2.1.4 To Contact the Board

Toll-free: 1-800-575-9696
People who use TTY should place calls with the assistance of a Bell Relay Service
operator at: 1-800-267-6511
Email: info@cirb-ccri.gc.ca
Web Site: http://www.cirb-ccri.gc.ca

Further information on how to contact the regional offices can be found at: http://www.cirb-ccri.gc.ca/contact_eng.asp

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