Anti-Worker Process of "Dispute Inquiry Board"

The Alberta government website claims that a Dispute Inquiry Board (DIB) is established "when parties need neutral third-party assistance to resolve a dispute. By appointing a DIB, both parties have the opportunity to explore all avenues open to them to clarify the issues and find an agreeable solution without resorting to a strike or lockout. The parties may request a DIB but in most cases it is the Minister who initiates the action."

The law governing DIBs, brought in at the height of the assault on the building trades workers in 1988, gives the Minister the authority to issue a Ministerial Directive to establish a DIB, appoint its member or members, and, if more than one person, appoint the Chair. Once a DIB is established, strikes and lockouts are prohibited until at least 10 days after the Minister serves a copy of the DIB's recommendations to the parties, or, if the Board conducts a vote, which it can, until 72 hours after the Board notifies the parties of the results of that vote.

While the Act refers to a 20 day period for the Board to "effect a settlement" or send its recommendations to the Minister, that period can be extended by the Minister without any limit.

If the parties do not accept the recommendations, they must conduct a vote on the recommendations within 10 days.

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This article was published in

September 23, 2024

Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/ITN2024/Articles/TI54142.HTM

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