About CIRB

The Board’s mandate is to contribute to and promote effective industrial relations in any work, undertaking or business that falls within the authority of the Parliament of Canada. It interprets and applies the Code in a manner that supports and promotes free collective bargaining and the constructive settlement of disputes.

The Board has jurisdiction in regard to some 1,000,000 employees engaged in federal jurisdiction industries, which include interprovincial transportation (air, land and water), broadcasting, banking, longshoring and grain handling, and to private sector employees in Nunavut, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories.

The CIRB undertakes a wide range of industrial relations activities in matters related to federal jurisdiction industries. These activities include certifying trade unions, investigating complaints of unfair labour practice, issuing cease and desist orders in cases of unlawful strikes and lockouts, rendering decisions on jurisdictional issues, and dealing with complex situations arising from a sale of business. It does so with a commitment to process, hear and determine applications and complaints fairly, expeditiously, and economically. Before adjudication, it plays an active role in helping parties to resolve their disputes through mediation and alternative dispute resolution approaches.

The Board engages in consultation with its clients and ensures open lines of communication with the industrial relations community. It also fulfills a vital function in recognizing and protecting the rights of employees and employers, and in constructively resolving conflicts.