What's new

March 4, 2025

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (the Board) is carrying out a process for the appointment of full-time and part-time Board Members, in accordance with section 6 of the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board Act (the Act).

The duties of a Board Member are primarily performed in the area of adjudication of Board matters such as grievances and staffing complaints, as well as alternate dispute resolution processes. It may also involve travel to different locations across Canada.

Eligibility for appointment is referenced at section 5 of the Act, which stipulates that, to be eligible to hold office as a member, a person must:

• be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
• not hold any other office or employment under the employer;
• not be a member or hold an office or employment under an employee organization that is a bargaining agent; and,
• not accept or hold any other office or employment or carry on any activity that is inconsistent with the person’s duties or functions.

As per section 6(1.1) of the Act, the Chairperson must also take into account the need for the Board to have two members with knowledge of police organizations.

Full-time Board members are appointed by the GIC on the recommendation of the Minister for a term not exceeding five years and are required to reside in the National Capital Region. Part-time members are appointed by the GIC on the recommendation of the Minister for a term not exceeding three years.

As stated in our 2023-24 Annual Report, the Board doesn’t just deal with cases — it deals with people. As such, it is imperative that its services are offered in an accessible, inclusive, timely, and transparent manner. It is important for the Board’s composition to reflect the diversity of the Canadian population as a whole.

Anyone who meets the above-mentioned requirements can submit its curriculum vitae as well as any other relevant information to FPSLREB-CRTESPF_Process-Processus@tribunal.gc.ca, no later than March 17, 2025. Please also indicate whether you wish to be considered for a full-time or part-time position or for both full-time and part-time positions.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please do not hesitate to write to FPSLREB-CRTESPF_Process-Processus@tribunal.gc.ca.

November 27, 2024

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (the Board) is suspending all regulatory timeframes for complaints, grievances and other matters before the Board from Saturday, December 21, 2024, to Sunday, January 5, 2025, inclusively. In other words, the days during the holiday period will NOT count for the purpose of calculating regulatory deadlines or for calculating the administrative timelines in staffing matters, such as the 5-day period to reply to requests. The calculation of time limits will resume on Monday, January 6, 2025.

Note that the suspension of regulatory timelines does not apply to the time limits to present a grievance to the employer and for it to provide a decision as established by sections 68 and 72 of the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Regulations and by sections 62, 64 and 65 of the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Regulations. The time limits for these purposes established by a collective agreement are also not suspended.

Timelines set out in the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act (FPSLRA) (for instance, to file complaints under s. 190, such as duty of fair representation complaints, or complaints under s. 133 of the Canada Labour Code) remain in force and are not suspended.

Finally, unless otherwise stated, the suspension of regulatory timelines does not apply to filing deadlines set out in orders or directions of the Board.

The following examples illustrate how to calculate timeframes during the holiday period. Please note that this guidance tool has no legal status and does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact a lawyer or other representative. In the event of any discrepancy between the legislation and the information contained here, the legislation will apply.

Example 1 (staffing complaint – Public Service Employment Act (PSEA))

The complainant’s allegations involving a staffing complaint are received on December 6, 2024, thus triggering the 15-day period for the deputy head’s reply. Since day 14 of the 15-day period is December 20^th, day 15 falls on the day following the holiday period, January 6, 2025. Therefore, the deputy head’s reply will be due on January 6, 2025 (day 15).

December 2024

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
					6	7 Day 1
8 Day 2	9 Day 3	10 Day 4	11 Day 5	12 Day 6	13 Day 7	14 Day 8
15 Day 9	16 Day 10	17 Day 11	18 Day 12	19 Day 13	20 Day 14	21 X
22 X	23 X	24 X	25 X	26 X	27 X	28 X
29 X	30 X	31 X

January 2025

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			1 X	2 X	3 X	4 X
5 X	6 Day 15

Example 2 (Reference to adjudication of an individual grievance – FPSLRA)

A copy of a notice of a reference to adjudication of an individual grievance is provided to the respondent on December 5, 2024, triggering the 30-day period for the respondent to file with the Board a copy of the decision that was made in respect of the grievance at each level of the applicable grievance process. Since day 15 is December 20^th, day 16 falls on the day following the holiday period, January 6, 2025. Therefore, the respondent’s response would be due on January 20, 2025 (day 30).

December 2024

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
				5	6 Day 1	7 Day 2
8 Day 3	9 Day 4	10 Day 5	11 Day 6	12 Day 7	13 Day 8	14 Day 9
15 Day 10	16 Day 11	17 Day 12	18 Day 13	19 Day 14	20 Day 15	21 X
22 X	23 X	24 X	25 X	26 X	27 X	28 X
29 X	30 X	31 X

January 2025

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			1 X	2 X	3 X	4 X
5 X	6 Day 16	7 Day 17	8 Day 18	9 Day 19	10 Day 20	11 Day 21
12 Day 22	13 Day 23	14 Day 24	15 Day 25	16 Day 26	17 Day 27	18 Day 28
19 Day 29	20 Day 30

Example 3 (Staffing – PSEA)

A Notification of Appointment or Proposal of Appointment (NAPA) has a notification date of December 9, 2024, and a complaint closing date of December 23, 2024. Since day 12 is December 20^th, day 13 falls on the day following the holiday period, January 6, 2025. Therefore, the complainant would have until January 8, 2025 (day 15) to file their staffing complaint.

December 2024

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	9 Day 1	10 Day 2	11 Day 3	12 Day 4	13 Day 5	14 Day 6
15 Day 7	16 Day 8	17 Day 9	18 Day 10	19 Day 11	20 Day 12	21 X
22 X	23 X	24 X	25 X	26 X	27 X	28 X
29 X	30 X	31 X

January 2025

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			1 X	2 X	3 X	4 X
5 X	6 Day 13	7 Day 14	8 Day 15

July 18, 2024

We are happy to announce that a process for the appointment of a Vice-Chairperson for the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board has been initiated.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit their applications via the Governor in Council Appointments website. More information about the appointment process is also available on the same webpage.

Please feel free to share this announcement with any potential candidates.

July 15, 2024

I am delighted to announce the following appointment and reappointments to the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board that were made recently by the Governor in council on the recommendation of the Minister of Democratic Institutions:

Full-time appointment

Brian Russell
Appointed as a full-time member for a term of five years, effective July 15, 2024

Brian Russell joins the Board with 19 years of extensive experience in various labour relations roles in the federal public service. Prior to being appointed to the FPSLREB as a full-time Board member, Mr. Russell worked as an Early Resolution Officer with the Board’s Mediation and Dispute Resolution Services team.

Part-time Reappointments

Guy Grégoire
Reappointed for a term of three years, effective August 4, 2024

David Paul Olsen
Reappointed for a term of three years, effective August 4, 2024

June 24, 2024

In collaboration with the parties to the Phoenix Pay System Damages Agreement (2020), a process has been developed for the accelerated adjudication of grievances referred under that agreement.

The Phoenix Pay System Damages Agreement (2020) applies to the Treasury Board and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Please consult the Procedural Guide for the Accelerated Adjudication of Grievances filed in accordance with the MOU on Damages caused by the Phoenix Pay System (2020) for more information on the process and the Board’s role.

February 26, 2024

The Board is happy to announce that the Early Resolution Program is now an integral part of its services!

Over a year ago, we started the Early Resolution Program as a pilot project. Our goal was to offer parties a quick way to get the discussions started and see if there was a way to explore and solve the issues, without having to resort to a formal hearing and adjudication process.

This pilot project was deemed a success! Early Resolution is now part of the services we offer regularly for people who come to us to resolve an issue. This is another way for the FPSLREB to foster harmonious labour relations and encourage fair employment practices in the federal public sector in an efficient, accessible manner.

Please consult our Early Resolution Program web page for more information.

February 15, 2024

As part of our ongoing efforts to address our case inventory more efficiently, we are implementing a new process for when parties:

• have reached a settlement;
• have reached an agreement in principle; or
• are in settlement discussions.

Under this new process, parties will be notified that their case will be placed in abeyance (on hold) for one year. If the case hasn’t been withdrawn within a year after this notification, and no party has explained why the case should remain open, the Board will close the file.

Before the one-year time limit runs out, we will remind the parties of the deadline and the approaching case closure.

Note that the new process will not apply to cases involving those without bargaining agent representation. These cases will be dealt with individually, and the parties involved will be kept informed.

This new process is effective starting February 26, 2024, and will only apply to files settled after that date.

For more information on that process, please consult this web page consisting of this new process.

October 17, 2023

Hello,

In collaboration with the parties to the Phoenix Pay System Damages Agreement (2019), a process has been developed for the accelerated adjudication of grievances under that agreement and for grievances processed pursuant to similar agreements for separate agencies.

The Phoenix Pay System Damages Agreement (2019) applies to the Treasury Board and the bargaining agents noted below:

• Association of Canadian Financial Officers
• Association of Justice Counsel
• Canadian Association of Professional Employees
• Canadian Federal Pilots Association
• Canadian Merchants Service Guild
• Canadian Military Colleges Faculty Association
• Canadian Union of Public Employees 104
• Federal Government Dockyard Trades and Labour Council (East)
• Federal Government Dockyard Trades and Labour Council (West)
• Federal Government Dockyard Chargehands Association
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
• Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers
• Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
• Unifor
• Union of Canadian Correctional Officers

Please consult the Procedural Guide for the Accelerated Adjudication of Grievances filed in accordance with the Phoenix Pay System Damages Agreement (2019) for more information on the process and the Board’s role.

October 6, 2023

Hello,

Last winter, we circulated a survey to our stakeholders. We hoped to gain a better understanding of their hearing mode preferences.

The results of this survey underwent a thorough and meticulous analysis, serving as a cornerstone for the development of our Guidelines on Hearing Mode Selection. I am pleased to share these new guidelines with you, and I hope this will offer clarity and transparency in our decision-making process.

Thank you,

September 20, 2023

September 30, 2023, marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day recognizes the tragic legacy of one of the cruellest aspects of colonization, and its continuing impact on the present day.

On this day, we mourn the multiple consequences of the residential school system, including forced assimilation, stolen children, broken families and cultural genocide. At the same time, we recognize and respect the tremendous resilience, strength and courage of indigenous peoples across Canada. And we renew our commitment to right relations with indigenous peoples.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation will be observed by the Board on Monday, October 2, 2023, to provide its members and staff time to acknowledge and commemorate the painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools.

As such, all hearings and other case-related activities scheduled on Monday, October 2, 2023, will be rescheduled.

Holiday Period (2023-2024)

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (the Board) is suspending all regulatory timeframes for complaints, grievances and other matters before the Board from Thursday, December 21, 2023, to Sunday, January 7, 2024, inclusively. In other words, the days during the holiday period will NOT count for the purpose of calculating regulatory deadlines or for calculating the administrative timelines in staffing matters, such as the 5-day period to reply to requests. The calculation of time limits will resume on Monday, January 8, 2024.

Note that the suspension of regulatory timelines does not apply to the time limits to present a grievance to the employer and for it to provide a decision as established by sections 68 and 72 of the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Regulations and by sections 62, 64 and 65 of the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Regulations. The time limits for these purposes established by a collective agreement are also not suspended.

Timelines set out in the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act (FPSLRA) (for instance, to file complaints under s. 190, such as duty of fair representation complaints, or complaints under s. 133 of the Canada Labour Code) remain in force and are not suspended.

Finally, unless otherwise stated, the suspension of regulatory timelines does not apply to filing deadlines set out in orders or directions of the Board.

The following examples illustrate how to calculate timeframes during the holiday period. Please note that this guidance tool has no legal status and does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact a lawyer or other representative. In the event of any discrepancy between the legislation and the information contained here, the legislation will apply.

Example 1 (staffing complaint – Public Service Employment Act (PSEA))

The complainant’s allegations involving a staffing complaint are received on December 8, 2023, thus triggering the 15-day period for the deputy head’s reply. Since day 12 of the 15-day period is December 20^th, day 13 falls on the day following the holiday period, January 8, 2024. Therefore, the deputy head’s reply will be due on January 10, 2024 (day 15).

December 2023

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
					8	9 Day 1
10 Day 2	11 Day 3	12 Day 4	13 Day 5	14 Day 6	15 Day 7	16 Day 8
17 Day 9	18 Day 10	19 Day 11	20 Day 12	21	22 X	23 X
24 X	25 X	26 X	27 X	28 X	29 X	30 X
31 X

January 2024

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	1 X	2 X	3 X	4 X	5 X	6 X
7 X	8 Day 13	9 Day 14	10 Day 15

Example 2 (Reference to adjudication of an individual grievance – FPSLRA)

A copy of a notice of a reference to adjudication of an individual grievance is provided to the respondent on December 5, 2023, triggering the 30-day period for the respondent to file with the Board a copy of the decision that was made in respect of the grievance at each level of the applicable grievance process. Since day 15 is December 20^th, day 16 falls on the day following the holiday period, January 8, 2024. Therefore, the respondent’s response would be due on January 22, 2024 (day 30).

December 2023

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
		5	6 Day 1	7 Day 2	8 Day 3	9 Day 4
10 Day 5	11 Day 6	12 Day 7	13 Day 8	14 Day 9	15 Day 10	16 Day 11
17 Day 12	18 Day 13	19 Day 14	20 Day 15	21 X	22 X	23 X
24 X	25 X	26 X	27 X	28 X	29 X	30 X
31 X

January 2024

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	1 X	2 X	3 X	4 X	5 X	6 X
7 X	8 Day 16	9 Day 17	10 Day 18	11 Day 19	12 Day 20	13 Day 21
14 Day 22	15 Day 23	16 Day 24	17 Day 25	18 Day 26	19 Day 27	20 Day 28
21 Day 29	22 Day 30

Example 3 (Staffing – PSEA)

A Notification of Appointment or Proposal of Appointment (NAPA) has a notification date of December 8, 2023, and a complaint closing date of December 22, 2023. Since day 13 is December 20^th, day 14 falls on the day following the holiday period, January 8, 2024. Therefore, the complainant would have until January 9, 2024 (day 15) to file their staffing complaint.

December 2023

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
					8 Day 1	9 Day 2
10 Day 3	11 Day 4	12 Day 5	13 Day 6	14 Day 7	15 Day 8	16 Day 9
17 Day 10	18 Day 11	19 Day 12	20 Day 13	21 X	22 X	23 X
24 X	25 X	26 X	27 X	28 X	29 X	30 X
31 X

January 2024

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	1 X	2 X	3 X	4 X	5 X	6 X
7 X	8 Day 14	9 Day 15

I am delighted to announce the following appointment to the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board that was made recently by the Governor in council on the recommendation of the Minister of Democratic Institutions:

Full-time appointment
Adrian Bieniasiewicz
Appointed for a term of five years, effective September 4, 2023

Mr. Bieniasiewicz began his career as a litigator at the Department of Justice, where he practised in the areas of labour and employment, human rights and general civil litigation. Prior to his appointment as a member of the FPSLREB, Mr. Bieniasiewicz served as senior counsel to two national appellate courts, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada.

Edith Bramwell
Chairperson
Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board

The Mediation and Dispute Resolution Services (MDRS) is offering virtual sessions to introduce parties to the mediation services at the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB). These sessions will be held at various times as indicated below in both English and French. Sessions are interactive in nature, are 90 minutes in duration, and will be held using the Zoom platform.

Background:

This session was developed based on requests to provide customized training to stakeholders on mediation services at the FPSLREB, and how mediation may be applicable to various staffing, labour relations and collective bargaining situations and disputes. Mediators developed this session based on past experience in training and mediation sessions.

Objectives:

• Acquaint participants with the Board’s mandate, stakeholder groups and role of the Mediation and Dispute Resolution Services within the Board
• Discuss the use of mediation through practical examples of mediators and participants
• Explore the benefits of mediation, roles of all participants in the process and the various steps of the FPSLREB mediation process

Dates:

• September 15, 2023 at 1:30pm EDT in French
• September 29, 2023 at 1:30pm EDT in English
• October 10, 2023 at 1:30pm EDT in English
• October 23, 2023 at 1:30pm EDT in French
• November 10, 2023 at 1:30pm EST in English
• November 24, 2023 at 1:30pm EST in French

Registration:

To register free of charge, please e-mail Training.Formation@fpslreb-crtespf.gc.ca indicating your choice of session along with your e-mail address and telephone number. Once registration is confirmed by the Mediation and Dispute Resolution Services team, participants will receive a confirmation email including instructions to join the session using the Zoom platform.

The number of participants per session is limited to 25. If sessions do not have sufficient attendance, the session may be cancelled or postponed. Depending on the number of participants registered, you may be placed on a waiting list to attend a future session.

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (the Board) is carrying out a process for the appointment of full-time and part-time Board Members, in accordance with section 6 of the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board Act (the Act).

The duties of a Board Member are primarily performed in the area of adjudication of Board matters such as grievances, staffing complaints, and human rights complaints, as well as alternate dispute resolution processes. It may also involve extensive travel to different locations across Canada.

Eligibility for appointment is referenced at section 5 of the Act, which stipulates that, to be eligible to hold office as a member, a person must:

• be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
• not hold any other office or employment under the employer;
• not be a member or hold an office or employment under an employee organization that is a bargaining agent; and,
• not accept or hold any other office or employment or carry on any activity that is inconsistent with the person’s duties or functions.

As per section 6(1.1) of the Act, the Chairperson must also take into account the need for the Board to have two members with knowledge of police organizations.

Full-time Board members are appointed by the GIC on the recommendation of the Minister for a term not exceeding five years. On appointment, a full-time Member is required to reside in the National Capital Region. Part-time members are appointed by the GIC on the recommendation of the Minister for a term not exceeding three years.

As stated in our 2021-22 Annual Report, the Board doesn’t just deal with cases — it deals with people. As such, it is imperative that its services are offered in an accessible, inclusive, timely, and transparent manner. It is important for the Board’s composition to reflect the diversity of the Canadian population as a whole.

Anyone who meets the above-mentioned requirements can submit its curriculum vitae as well as any other relevant information to communications.web@tribunal.gc.ca, no later than Friday, September 15, 2023. Please also indicate whether you wish to be considered for a full-time or part-time position or for both full-time and part-time positions.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please do not hesitate to contact Jennifer Hamilton, Executive Director, Board Secretariat (Jennifer.hamilton@tribunal.gc.ca).

As part of the modernization of our information management processes, a document sharing portal has been developed to facilitate the exchange of information. The e-Docs Portal will allow you to share large documents without having to divide them into multiple submissions and to share them in real time during a hearing, as needed.

Starting in June 2023, all the parties before the Board will have the opportunity to submit their hearing documents via the e-Docs Portal. The transmission of documents through the Portal will become mandatory as of January 2024. Until then, there will be a grace period where the FPSLREB will accept hearing documents filed by emails should you experience issues with the Portal.

Further instructions as well as a naming convention guide will be posted on this web site in the coming weeks.

Parties to a hearing will also receive an email notification prior to the hearing reminding them to register to the Portal. A training document as well as the naming convention will be included in that email.

In order to help us improve the customer experience, please feel free to share your feedback on your experience with the portal to provide feedback on your experience, click here.

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) introduced in March 2022 a Settlement Conference Pilot Project as part of the Case Flow Initiative.

We are happy to announce that based on the success of the pilot, settlement conferences now officially form part of the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) options offered at the FPSLREB. This will further enhance our commitment to improve access to justice and increase the use of different dispute resolution mechanisms. As such, parties can expect that files referred to the Board might be put on the Settlement Conference schedule. Parties can also contact mdrs-smrd@fpslreb-crtespf.gc.ca to jointly request that a file be added to the schedule.

Click here to learn more about settlement conferences.

For more information, click here.

Mediation and Dispute Resolution Services (MDRS) has launched a new virtual session to introduce parties to the mediation services at the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB). This session was developed based on requests to provide customized training to stakeholders on mediation services at the FPSLREB, and how mediation may be applicable to various staffing, labour relations and collective bargaining situations and disputes.

For more information, click here.

The Board will shortly be providing a brief survey to stakeholder organizations, to canvas views on remote and in-person hearing options. New Guidelines on Hearing Mode Selection will be released in 2023.

In the interim, a party may, at any time, request that a case be heard in a different mode than the one in which it was scheduled.

Hearing mode proposals must be received no later than 45 days before the scheduled hearing. The Board member assigned to the case will determine whether the request can be granted. The proposal, if granted, may result in a postponement.

For the first quarter of 2023, the following categories of cases will generally be scheduled for in-person hearings:

• Cases scheduled for more than two days of hearing in British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories
• Termination cases
• Cases with national security considerations

Special consideration will also be given to cases requiring simultaneous interpretation.

This is to inform you that amendments have been made to the Public Service Staffing Complaints Regulations (SOR/2006-6, Regulations). The amendments came into force on November 22, 2022.

Description of key amendments

The following amendments to the Regulations were made to align the Regulations with various legislative changes, as well as address editorial and procedural issues to render Board proceedings more efficient.

The specific sections related to these changes as well as additional information can be found in the Canada Gazette, Part II.  Justice will update its Justice Laws Website in due course with an updated version of the Regulations.

The Mediation and Dispute Resolution Services has launched a new orientation session to help parties effectively participate in videoconference mediation. These sessions will be held at various times as indicated below in both English and French. Sessions are interactive in nature, are 90 minutes in duration, and will be held using the Zoom platform.

Background:

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FPSLREB has been required to adjust how it conducts its business, including its approach towards conducting mediation processes to comply with public health measures. As such, the FPSLREB has turned to online platforms to assist parties in the resolution of their disputes.

Objectives:

• Acquaint participants with the various aspects of videoconference mediation at the FPSLREB
• Discuss special techniques to participate effectively in the mediation process, and
• Help participants develop their approach to the online mediation process

Dates:

• Dates to be determined

Registration:

To register free of charge, please e-mail Training.Formation@fpslreb-crtespf.gc.ca indicating your choice of session along with your e-mail address and telephone number. Once registration is confirmed by the Mediation and Dispute Resolution Services team, participants will receive a confirmation email including instructions to join the session using the Zoom platform.

The number of participants per session is limited to 25. Depending on the number of participants registered, you may be placed on a waiting list to attend a future session.

March 18, 2020

As of March 18, 2020, portions of the regulations relating to the matters arising before the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board  (the Board) have been amended to reflect a number of changes brought about by the coming into force of An Act to amend the Canada Labour code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, the Public Service Labour Relations Act and the Income Tax Act (S.C. 2017, c. 12; Bill C-4),   An Act to amend the Public Service Labour Relations Act, the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board Act and other Acts and to provide for certain other measures (S.C. 2017, c. 9; Bill C-7),and  An Act to amend the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act and other Acts (S.C. 2018, c. 24; Bill C-62). Some amendments were also made for reasons related to modernization and housekeeping.

Key amendments consist of the following:

Status review

A new status review provision for “dormant cases” has been included to enable the Board to better manage its caseload.

Electronic filing

Parties will now be allowed to send or file documents by electronic means, as well as by the existing means of mail, fax and hand delivery.  This change entails amending many provisions of the Regulations to require parties to provide their electronic mail addresses.

Deadline

The 4:00 p.m. deadline, Ottawa time, has been removed, and clarifications have been added with respect to when documents are deemed to have been received by the Board.

Forms

The forms were previously set out in the Schedule to the Regulations. While they continue to exist, the Board now has more flexibility to alter the forms’ content without having to go through a complex regulatory amendment process.  The information that a party must provide in a given matter is now set out specifically in the Regulations rather than in the forms that are currently found in the Schedule. 

Requirement to file multiple copies

It is no longer required to file multiple copies of documents. Where needed, the requirement will be stated on the online forms instead.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

The RCMP is now included in the procedures for applications for certification and revocation.

Definition

The definition of “day” has been added to the Regulations for added clarity given the introduction of electronic filing. The definitions of “signature” and “contact information” have also been added to reflect the requirements of electronic filing.

Dispute resolution

The definition of « initiating documents » has been amended to include applications for an essential services agreement, applications to amend an essentials services agreement, applications for the amendment or suspension of an essential services agreement in an emergency situation and applications for an extension of time under s.133 of the FPSLRA.

Given that s.158.1 of the FPSLRA was repealed as a result of the coming into force of Bill C-62, certain provisions of the Regulations were amended or repealed to reflect this legislative change.  New provisions were also introduced, essentially restoring the dispute resolution provisions that existed before December 13, 2013.

Representation of grievor not included in bargaining unit

A new provision has been added to address the representation of a grievor who is not included in a bargaining unit.

Coming into force

The Regulations came into force on the day that they were registered, March 18, 2020.