Helpful Links
On this page, you will find links to federal departments, other agencies or tribunals, and other sources of case law that are not included elsewhere on the Canada Industrial Relations Board’s website. You can also check our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to find answers to more general questions about the Board.
Federal departments and tribunals
The Canadian Human Rights Commission handles complaints by employees who believe they have been discriminated against by their federally regulated employer. If you have been fired by a federally regulated employer and believe that the reason for this is linked to discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act, you must file a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal decides whether a person or an organization has engaged in a discriminatory practice as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act. The Tribunal’s mandate is to protect individuals from discrimination. It states that all Canadians have the right to equality, equal opportunity, fair treatment, and an environment free of discrimination. The Tribunal does not receive complaints directly. Complaints are filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
The Employment and Social Development Canada website has information about federal workplace standards, labour relations, workplace health and safety, and labour standards (also called employment standards). If you have been fired by a federally regulated employer and are not covered by a collective agreement, you can file a complaint with the Labour Program of Employment and Social Development Canada. To find out more about where you should file your complaint, please see our Employment Standards Unjust Dismissal page.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS-ESDC) provides dispute resolution and dispute prevention assistance to unions and federally regulated employers in relation to the collective bargaining process. It will also appoint arbitrators to hear grievances when a union and a federally regulated employer cannot agree on one.
The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board is responsible for administering the collective bargaining and grievance adjudication systems in the federal public service. It is also responsible for resolving staffing complaints related to internal appointments and layoffs in the federal public service.
Collective agreements
Negotech is an online library of collective agreements and scale agreements (under the Status of the Artist Act) within the federal jurisdiction. They are shared on the Employment and Social Development Canada Labour Program website.
Other sources of case law
- The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) is an online library of Canadian case law from all Canadian courts, including those in the provinces, the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada. It also contains decisions from many federal and provincial tribunals, including labour tribunals. You can find Canada Industrial Relations Board decisions there.
- LEXUM is a software company that designs and operates online legal information delivery products. It specializes in the management and publishing of legal information on the internet. The decisions of the Canada Industrial Relations Board that are accessible using the Board’s website are managed by LEXUM.
- The Federal Court of Appeal hears applications for judicial review of Canada Industrial Relations Board decisions, and the Supreme Court of Canada hears applications for judicial review of Federal Court of Appeal decisions.
When you are researching labour case law, be sure to confirm that your information comes from reliable, credible sources. If you are unsure, you can ask the Industrial Relations Officer assigned to your file.
Other labour relations jurisdictions
Provinces and territories have their own departments of labour and labour relations boards. These bodies deal with the labour relations and workplace standards that apply to provincially regulated organizations. For your convenience, these links may be helpful:
Frequently Asked Questions
For more information, please visit the FAQ page. If you have questions that are not answered there, go to the Contact Us page and get in touch with the Canada Industrial Relations Board by phone or by email.