Every collective agreement must establish a joint union-management consultation committee. The purpose of the joint consultation committee is to provide unions and employers with an opportunity to meet regularly to talk about workplace issues.
If the collective agreement doesn't provide for a joint consultation committee, then the following language is automatically deemed to be included in the collective agreement:
On the request of either party, the parties must meet at least once every two months until this agreement is terminated, for the purpose of discussing issues relating to the workplace that affect the parties or any employee bound by this agreement.
Benefits of an effective joint consultation committee
An effective joint consultation committee has many benefits including:
- improved communication
- the opportunity to discuss operational issues in a problem-solving way
- a more positive labour-management relationship
- the opportunity to express and respond to constructive suggestions and complaints
- the opportunity to resolve ongoing issues.
What if our joint consultation committee needs help to work effectively?
A union or an employer can apply to the Labour Relations Board for a facilitator to help them establish effective and cooperative committees.
What can a facilitator do?
The facilitator will work with your committee to understand issues specific to your workplace and will tailor a solution to assist your committee. This could be anything that would help the union and employer to engage with one another more constructively, including coming up with a committee mandate and meeting structure, or helping parties learn how to improve their communication skills, build consensus, and resolve disputes. The Board has also developed standard training modules that committee members can take.
How do I apply for a facilitator?
To apply for a facilitator:
- Complete Form 53: Application for a Facilitator
FORM 53: APPLICATION FOR A FACILITATOR - Submit the application by email, mail, or courier to the attention of Director of Mediation
- Arrange to pay the $100 filing fee.
Filing by email? The Board only accepts supporting information in PDF, MP3, or MP4 format. Supporting information cannot be provided by a file-share link at this time.
How much does a facilitator cost?
There is a daily fee for working with a Board facilitator. Learn more about mediation fees.
Leading decisions:
Leading decisions provide useful information on how the Labour Relations Board applies the Labour Relations Code (the Code) and information on what is or is not covered by the Code.