Fact Sheets

General Information

Established in 2005, the Public Service Labour Relations Board (PSLRB) is an independent, quasi-judicial statutory tribunal responsible for administering the collective bargaining and grievance adjudication systems in the federal public and parliamentary service. Board members administer the legislation by holding grievance (including those dealing with human rights issues) adjudication and complaint hearings throughout Canada. The PSLRB also provides mediation and conflict resolution services to help parties resolve differences without resorting to a formal hearing. As part of its mandate, the PSLRB has established a compensation analysis and research function that will result in the publication of reports setting out comparisons of compensation applicable to private sector or other public service employees in occupational groups that are similar or equivalent to those in the public service.

Statutes administered by the PSLRB are as follows:

• Public Service Labour Relations Act
• Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act
• Certain provisions of Part II of the Canada Labour Code
• Yukon Education Labour Relations Act
• Yukon Public Service Labour Relations Act

Proceedings before the PSLRB include grievance adjudication, applications for certification, revocation of certification, complaints of unfair labour practices, identification of positions whose duties are of a managerial and confidential nature, determination of essential services agreements where parties fail to agree, determination of successor rights, enforcement of obligations of employer and employee organization, and complaints against reprisals that resulted when federal employees exercised their rights relating to workplace health and safety under Part II of the Canada Labour Code.

Under an agreement with the Yukon government, the PSLRB administers the collective bargaining and grievance adjudication systems under the Yukon Education Labour Relations Act and the Yukon Public Service Labour Relations Act. When performing these functions funded by the Yukon government, the PSLRB acts respectively as the Yukon Teachers Labour Relations Board and the Yukon Public Service Labour Relations Board.

In addition, the PSLRB provides physical and administrative support to the National Joint Council, which is an independent consultative body of representatives of employers and employees for the determination of service-wide issues that do not lend themselves to unit-by-unit bargaining. The PSLRB plays no direct role in the administration and operations of the National Joint Council.