Grievance Process

NJC Grievances

The National Joint Council grievance procedure is a grievance procedure within the meaning of the Public Service Labour Relations Act (PSLRA). The parties to Council have agreed that any employee who feels aggrieved by the interpretation or application of an NJC directive or policy must process his/her grievance through the NJC procedure.

• Grievances must be supported by the bargaining agent concerned. If a grievance is not resolved through the NJC process, the employee, with the agreement and support of his/her bargaining agent, may proceed to adjudication under the PSLRA.
• Employees in excluded positions do not have the right to grieve through the NJC procedure.

The NJC procedure differs from the normal grievance procedure in three ways:

1. The NJC procedure involves only three steps regardless of the department or agency of the grievor.
2. The third step of the procedure is the NJC Executive Committee.  The Executive   Committee consists of three Employer Side members and three Bargaining Agent side members.
3. Grievances are decided on the basis of the intent of the directive or policy concerned and are not decided by strict consideration of the wording of the directive or policy.