In British Columbia, there are two types of union-related labour decisions:
1) Decisions of the Labour Relations Board
2) Arbitration awards.
1. Decisions of the Labour Relations Board
The Labour Relations Board (LBR) British Columbia is an independent, administrative tribunal. Its mandate is to mediate and adjudicate employment and labour relations matters related to unionized workplaces in the province.
The LBR was established in 1974. It changed its name to "Industrial Relations Council" in 1987, then changed back to "Labour Relations Board" in 1993.
The Labour Relations Code, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 244, governs all aspects of collective bargaining in BC and establishes the Labour Relations Board. The Act grants the Board exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine applications and complaints under the Code. Typical applications include disputes over labour practices, strikes, lockouts, picketing and replacement workers.
Decisions are assigned unique case numbers and can be found in print or electronically:
a) Print - onsite at the Vancouver Courthouse Library
Coverage from 1974 to 2003:
1974-1987 Decisions
Labour Relations Board of British Columbia
(KN196.1 A121B75)
1987-1993 Decision of the Council
British Columbia Industrial Relations Council
(KN196.1 A121B76)
1993-1999 British Columbia Labour Relations Board Decisions
British Columbia Labour Relations Board
(KN196.1 A121B762)
2000-2003 Decision of the Board
British Columbia Labour Relations Board
(KN196.1 A121B763)
b) Electronic sources (full text)
1974- Quicklaw (search for Source: British Columbia Labour Relations Board Decisions)
1990- BC Labour Relations Board website
c) Print (digests)
1993 BCLRB Sectional Index. Digest of Decisions/Labour Relations Board
(KN196.1 A121B78D5)
c) Letter decisions
Letter decisions are addendums to the decisions. There are numbered and un-numbered letter decisions.
Letter decisions can be found in the following print sources (available in the Vancouver Courthouse Library):
1981-1983 Letter Decisions
Labour Relations Board of British Columbia
(KN196.1 A121B758)
1988 Letter Decisions
Industrial Relations Council
(KN196.1 A121B761)
1993-1999 British Columbia Labour Relations Board Decisions
British Columbia Labour Relations Board
(KN196.1 A121B762)
Selected decisions are available on Quicklaw (search for Source: British Columbia Labour Relations Board Decisions).
Copies of other letter decisions may or may not be retained by the Labour Relations Board. Contact the Board for more information.
d) Indexes
Available in the Vancouver Courthouse Library:
1974-1999 British Columbia Labour Relations Board Decisions. Cumulative Index
(KN196.1.A121B782)
- Volume 1: Table of Decisions by Parties
- Volume 2: Decision Citator (1974-1989)
- Volume 3: Decision Citator (1990-1999)
2000-2004 British Columbia Labour Relations Board Decisions Cumulative Index. 2000 Forward
(KN196.1.A121B782)
- Updates Table of Decisions by Parties and Decision Citator
- Library copy current to May 2004
2. Labour Arbitration Awards
The Collective Agreement Arbitration Bureau (CAAB) is a part of the Labour Relations Board. It provides grievance arbitration, a formal process where private arbitrators help resolve rights grievances between employers and trade unions that arise from collective agreements. The arbitrator, either chosen consensually by the parties or appointed by the Director of CAAB, is a neutral person who is given quasi-judicial powers to investigate, hear evidence and provide a legally binding decision on the parties.
A copy of each labour arbitration decision (also referred to as collective agreement arbitration awards) issued in British Columbia is forwarded to the Collective Agreement Arbitration Bureau where it is assigned a number. It is then forwarded to various agencies for public access.
Arbitration awards can be found:
a) Print - onsite at Vancouver Courthouse Library
1974-1998 Labour Arbitration Awards for British Columbia (Microform)
(KN196.2.A121B75)
b) Electronic sources (full text)
1974 - Quicklaw (search for Source: BCAR or British Columbia Collective Agreement Arbitration Awards
- Selected decisions from 1970 to 1973 also available
c) Indexes
Available in the Vancouver Courthouse Library:
1974-2004 British Columbia Decisions. Labour Arbitration. Cumulative Index (Available in the Vancouver Courthouse Library)
(KN196.2.A131B76)
- Volume 1: Table of Decisions by Parties (1974-1999) (A to J)
- Volume 2: Table of Decisions by Parties (1974-1999) (K to Z)
- Volume 3: Table by Award Number and Union Index (1982-1999)
- Volume 4: Arbitrators Index (1982-1998)
- Volume 5: 2000 Forward
- Updates the content contained in the other four volumes
- Library copy current to May 2004
Electronic:
1974-1998 Courthouse Libraries BC Unreported Decisions Index
- Search our online Unreported Decisions Index for decisions available on microform
- BC Labour Relations Board - BC Labour Relations Board
- Labour Relations Code, R.S.B.C. 1996, c.244 - BC Laws
- Unreported Decisions Index - Courthouse Libraries BC
- Collective Agreement Bureau (CAAB)