BC Labour Relations Board introduces Online Form for filing Collective Agreements

The British Columbia Labour Relations Board (the “Board”) has launched a new online form for parties to file their collective agreements.

As a reminder, section 51 of British Columbia’s Labour Relations Code requires each party to a collective agreement to file a copy with the Board within 30 days of its execution. If a collective agreement is not filed as required, the Board may decline to consider it in any proceeding before the Board.

The filing requirement can be met by either (i) completing the new online form, or (ii) submitting a copy of the agreement to the Board via email. The Board has clarified that filing with other entities (such as the BC Bargaining Database) does not satisfy the section 51 requirements of the Code.

The new online form consists of two pages. The first page contains mandatory fields and collects basic information required by the Board, such as the names of the parties and the term of the agreement. The second page is optional and requests additional details, including:

• how the collective agreement was reached (i.e., bargaining, mediation, arbitration);
• wage provisions (i.e., increases, cost of living adjustments);
• non-wage related changes to terms of employment; and
• the length of time taken to negotiate the collective agreement.

The Board intends to compile data from the second page and present it in regular summary reports. Gathering this additional information will enable the Board to monitor collective bargaining trends, such as negotiation timelines, use of mediators, job action, and bargaining outcomes.

Key Takeaway

Employers that are parties to a collective agreement should be aware of the requirement to file a copy directly with the Board, either through the new online form or via email, within 30 days of execution of a collective agreement.