Canada Labour Relations Board : The Canada Labour Relations Board (CLRB) was established in 1948 under the Industrial Relations and Disputes Investigation Act (11-12 George VI, c. 54n). The Board, which replaced the National Wartime Labour Relations Board (1944-1948), reported to Parliament through the Minister of Labour. Its purpose was to certify new unions and to hear and settle disputes in industries under federal jurisdiction, or those enterprises that were international or interprovincial in character. These included interprovincial or international railways; highway transportation; telephone, telegraph and cable systems; shipping; radio and television broadcasting; air transportation and airports; banks; grain elevators; flour and feed mills; feed warehouses and seed cleaning plants; and certain Crown Corporations.
An administrative restructuring occurred in 1972, which resulted in new responsibilities for the Board. Under the revised Part V of the Labour Code, Board members were expected to serve on a full-time basis. In addition, the CLRB was made a fully autonomous body subject to the Financial Administration Act, although it still reported to Parliament through the Minister of Labour. As a result of the restructuring, the CLRB's responsibilities under Parts IV and V of the Canada Labour Code were to certify unions in workplaces under federal jurisdiction, to provide mediation and conciliation services in labour disputes in those industries, and to hear cases involving possible infractions of labour laws brought by unions and individual employees in federally regulated workplaces. On finding a violation of the Code (by either unions or employers), the Board was empowered to order reinstatement or compensation where appropriate. It was also empowered, upon application, to order employees to return to work in cases of illegal work stoppages. In 1985, the Canada Labour Code was reconsolidated with various other statutes concerning labour and CLRB's responsibilities fell under Part I of the new Code. The CLRB also deals with health and safety complaints filed by employees against their employer under Part II of the Code.
Directed by a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and a full-time board of up to eight members, the CLRB is independent from any other government agency or department in its administration. The CLRB maintains its headquarters in Ottawa and five regional offices across Canada.
On December 22, 1998, the Minister of Labour, the Honourable Claudette Bradshaw, announced that amendments to Part I (Industrial Relations) of the Canada Labour Code would be effective as of January 1, 1999. The new legislation, which was introduced as Bill C-19 on November 6, 1997 and received Royal Assent on June 18 1998, streamlined the conciliation process, clarified the rights and obligations of parties during a work stoppage, protected trade unions from being undermined and improved the collective bargaining process for federally regulated industries.
In reflection of this modernization of the Code, the legislation also initiated a change in name to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), which inherited all responsibilities, obligations, and other powers from the former CLRB. The administrative structure of CIRB is similar to that of CLRB, except it is directed by a chairperson, two or more full-time vice-chairpersons, and a board of up to six full-time members and any other part-time members the Governor in Council consider necessary. Its membership must represent, in equal numbers, employees and employers. CIRB also decreased its number of regional offices to four and established two satellite offices in the National Capital Region and Winnipeg.
On April 1, 2013, CIRB was assigned responsibility for the interpretation and administration of Part II of the Status of the Artist Act, previously administered by the now defunct Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal (CAPPRT). The CIRB deals with applications and complaints involving the acquisition and termination of collective bargaining rights for artists' associations to represent self-employed artists, unfair labour practices and other matters brought forward by artists, artists' associations or producers in federal jurisdiction.
