How did the PSLRA change the collective bargaining process?
• The Public Service Labour Relations Act established a new conciliation process. Public Interest Commissions replace conciliation boards and conciliation commissioners (s. 162-167). Public Interest Commissions are non-permanent bodies consisting of one or three persons, appointed by the Minister responsible, whose role is to assist the parties to resolve disputes and to make recommendations for settlement. The Chairperson of the PSLRB recommends the appointment of a Public Interest Commission either at the request of the parties or on his or her own initiative. • The PSLRA has enabled two-tier bargaining. Two-tier bargaining allows for service-wide bargaining to set the broad parameters for terms and conditions of employment in a bargaining unit while permitting precise details to be negotiated in departments, if the employer, bargaining agent and deputy head jointly agree (s. 110). • In order to declare a strike, the PSLRA requires bargaining agents to hold a strike vote by secret ba
