Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act (S.C. 2003, c. 22, s. 2)

Marginal note:Determination of unit

238.14 If an application for certification is made under subsection 238.13(1), the Board must determine that the group that consists exclusively of all the employees who are RCMP members and all the employees who are reservists constitutes the single, national bargaining unit that is appropriate for collective bargaining.

Marginal note:Limitation

238.15 An employee organization that is certified as the bargaining agent for the bargaining unit determined under section 238.14 is not entitled to seek to be certified as bargaining agent for any other group of employees.

Marginal note:Limitation

238.16 Despite section 58, the Board does not have jurisdiction to determine that an employee who is not an RCMP member or a reservist is included in the bargaining unit determined under section 238.14.

Revocation of Certification

Marginal note:Mandate or affiliation

• 238.17 (1) The Board must revoke the certification of an employee organization as the bargaining agent for the bargaining unit determined under section 238.14 if the Board, on application by the employer or any employee in that bargaining unit, determines that the employee organization — or, in the case of a council of employee organizations, any employee organization forming part of the council — no longer has as its primary mandate the representation of employees who are RCMP members or that it is affiliated with a bargaining agent or other association that does not have as its primary mandate the representation of police officers.

• Marginal note:Clarification

  (2) For greater certainty,

  • (a) for the purposes of subsection (1), participation by an employee organization in the National Joint Council is not considered to be an affiliation with a bargaining agent or other association that does not have as its primary mandate the representation of police officers; and

  • (b) the circumstances set out in subsection (1) apply in addition to the circumstances in which a certification may be revoked under sections 94 to 100.

Process for Dispute Resolution

Marginal note:Arbitration

238.18 Sections 103 and 104 do not apply to disputes between the employer and the bargaining agent for the bargaining unit determined under section 238.14. The process for the resolution of those disputes is arbitration.

Restriction on Content of Collective Agreement

Marginal note:Restriction

238.19 A collective agreement that applies to the bargaining unit determined under section 238.14 must not, directly or indirectly, alter or eliminate any existing term or condition of employment or establish any new term or condition of employment if

• (a) doing so would require the enactment or amendment of any legislation by Parliament, except for the purpose of appropriating money required for the implementation of the term or condition; or

• (b) the term or condition is one that has been or may be established under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation Act, the Public Service Employment Act, the Public Service Superannuation Act or the Government Employees Compensation Act.

Essential Services, Conciliation and Strike Votes

Marginal note:Non-application of Divisions 8, 10 and 11 of Part 1

238.2 Divisions 8, 10 and 11 of Part 1 do not apply in respect of the bargaining unit determined under section 238.14.

Arbitration

Marginal note:Arbitral award — additional factor

238.21 In addition to the factors set out in section 148, the arbitration board may, if relevant to making a determination under that section in regards to a collective agreement that applies to the bargaining unit determined under section 238.14, take into account the impact of the determination on the operational effectiveness of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Marginal note:Arbitral award — limitations

• 238.22 (1) The arbitral award that applies to the bargaining unit determined under section 238.14 must not, directly or indirectly, alter or eliminate any existing term or condition of employment, or establish any new term or condition of employment, if

  • (a) doing so would require the enactment or amendment of any legislation by Parliament, except for the purpose of appropriating money required for the implementation of the term or condition;

  • (b) the term or condition is one that has been or may be established under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pension Continuation Act, the Public Service Employment Act, the Public Service Superannuation Act or the Government Employees Compensation Act; or

  • (c) doing so would affect either of the following:

    • (i) the organization of the public service, the categories of members as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act or the assignment of duties to, and the classification of, positions and persons employed in the public service, or

    • (ii) the right or authority of the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act to ensure that police operations are effective.

• Marginal note:Clarification

  (2) For greater certainty, subsection 150(2) applies in respect of the arbitral award.

Regulations

Marginal note:Regulations

238.23 The Governor in Council may make regulations

• (a) prescribing the oath of secrecy referred to in subsection 238.07(5); and

• (b) respecting the measures that are to be taken by the Board or a party to protect the information referred to in subsection 238.07(1) that the Board or the party has received from the RCMP Commissioner in connection with any matter or proceeding before the Board under this Division or Part 1 that concerns a person who is or was an RCMP member or a reservist, and respecting the disclosure of that information by the Board or the party to other persons or entities.

DIVISION 2Grievances

Individual Grievances

Marginal note:Limited right to grieve

238.24 Subject to subsections 208(2) to (7), an employee who is an RCMP member is entitled to present an individual grievance only if they feel aggrieved by the interpretation or application, in respect of the employee, of a provision of a collective agreement or arbitral award.

Marginal note:Limited right to refer to adjudication

• 238.25 (1) An employee who is an RCMP member may refer to adjudication an individual grievance that has been presented up to and including the final level in the grievance process and that has not been dealt with to the employee’s satisfaction only if the grievance is related to the interpretation or application, in respect of the employee, of a provision of a collective agreement or arbitral award.

• Marginal note:Agreement required

  (2) Before referring an individual grievance to adjudication, the employee must obtain the approval of their bargaining agent to represent the employee in the adjudication proceedings.

• Marginal note:Grievance related to accessibility

  (3) If a grievance referred to in subsection (1) is related to the contravention of a provision of regulations made under subsection 117(1) of the Accessible Canada Act, an employee who is an RCMP member may refer the grievance to adjudication only if the employee has suffered physical or psychological harm, property damage or economic loss as a result of — or has otherwise been adversely affected by — the contravention.

Adjournment of Proceedings

Marginal note:Prejudice to ongoing investigations or proceedings

• 238.26 (1) An adjudicator or the Board must, on the request of the RCMP Commissioner or the employer, adjourn all proceedings in relation to any matter before the adjudicator or the Board under this Division or Part 2 that concerns a person who is or was an RCMP member or a reservist, if the adjudicator or the Board is satisfied that to continue those proceedings would prejudice an ongoing criminal investigation or an ongoing criminal or civil proceeding.

• Marginal note:Maximum period of adjournment

  (2) No adjournment may be for a period of more than 90 days. However, the RCMP Commissioner or the employer may request more than one adjournment in relation to a matter.

Law Enforcement, Public Safety and National Security

Marginal note:Non-disclosure

• 238.27 (1) The RCMP Commissioner may, in connection with any matter or proceeding before an adjudicator or the Board under this Division or Part 2 that concerns a person who is or was an RCMP member or a reservist, object to the disclosure to the adjudicator or the Board, as the case may be, or to a party of any information whose disclosure would, in that Commissioner’s opinion, be injurious to law enforcement, public safety or national security.

• Marginal note:Notice of objection

  (2) If the RCMP Commissioner objects to the disclosure of information under subsection (1), he or she must, as soon as feasible, give written notice of the objection and the reasons for it to the adjudicator or the Board, as the case may be, and to the parties.

• Marginal note:Other provisions do not apply

  (3) The RCMP Commissioner may object to the disclosure of information under subsection (1) despite any provision of this Act or the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board Act that would otherwise permit the adjudicator or the Board, as the case may be, to require that the information be disclosed.

• Marginal note:Former judge

  (4) If the RCMP Commissioner objects to the disclosure of information under subsection (1), the Minister must, at the written request of the adjudicator or the Board, as the case may be, or a party, appoint a former judge of a superior court of a province or the Federal Court to review the information and to make an order under section 238.28.

• Marginal note:Oath of secrecy

  (5) In order to be appointed, the former judge must obtain a security clearance from the Government of Canada and take the oath of secrecy prescribed by regulation.

• Marginal note:Notice of appointment

  (6) The Minister must provide notice to the adjudicator or the Board, as the case may be, to the parties and to the RCMP Commissioner when a former judge has been appointed in accordance with subsection (4). The adjudicator or the Board, as the case may be, the parties and the RCMP Commissioner may make their representations to the former judge only within 30 days after the day on which the notice is sent or any longer period, not more than 60 days after the day on which the notice is sent, that the former judge may permit.

• Marginal note:Former judge to have access

  (7) The former judge is to have access to the information about which an objection is made under subsection (1) for the purposes of the review.

Marginal note:Order regarding disclosure

• 238.28 (1) Unless the former judge concludes that the disclosure of the information about which an objection is made under subsection 238.27(1) would be injurious to law enforcement, public safety or national security, the former judge must order that the RCMP Commissioner’s objection under section 238.27 to the disclosure of that information be dismissed.

• Marginal note:Disclosure required

  (2) If the former judge concludes that the disclosure of all or part of that information would be injurious to law enforcement, public safety or national security but that the public interest in disclosure outweighs in importance the public interest in non-disclosure, the former judge, after considering the public interest in disclosure, must order the RCMP Commissioner to disclose to the adjudicator, to the Board or to the party, as the case may be, all or that part of that information, a summary of that information or a written admission of facts relating to that information.

• Marginal note:No disclosure required

  (3) If the former judge does not make an order under subsection (1) or order disclosure under subsection (2), they must make an order upholding the RCMP Commissioner’s objection to the disclosure.

• Marginal note:Time limit

  (4) The order of the former judge must be made within 30 days after the day on which the period referred to in subsection 238.27(6) expires or within any longer period, not more than 60 days after the day on which the period referred to in that subsection expires, that the Minister permits.

• Marginal note:Prohibition

  (5) The former judge must not include in their order any information that reveals information that they conclude must not be disclosed, or any information from which that information may be inferred.

• Marginal note:Order final

  (6) The former judge’s order is final and binding.

• Marginal note:Review

  (7) The RCMP Commissioner’s objection is not subject to review except to the extent and in the manner provided under this section.

Marginal note:Protection

• 238.29 (1) No criminal, civil or administrative action or proceeding lies against a former judge, or any person acting on their behalf or under their direction, for anything done, reported or said in good faith in the exercise or purported exercise of any power, or the performance or purported performance of any duty or function, of the former judge under sections 238.27 and 238.28.

• Marginal note:No summons

  (2) The former judge, or any person acting on their behalf or under their direction, is not, in respect of any matter coming to the knowledge of the former judge or that person as a result of exercising a power or performing a duty or function of the former judge, a competent or compellable witness in any proceeding other than a prosecution for an offence under this Act, the Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act or section 132 or 136 of the Criminal Code.

Marginal note:Use of information

238.3 Information about which an objection is made under subsection 238.27(1) that is disclosed by the RCMP Commissioner to an adjudicator or the Board, as the case may be, or to a party in connection with the matter or proceeding that gave rise to the objection may be used only in connection with that matter or proceeding.

Marginal note:Memorandum of understanding

238.31 The Chairperson and the RCMP Commissioner may enter into a memorandum of understanding setting out principles and procedures respecting the disclosure of information referred to in subsection 238.27(1) and the protection of that information if it is disclosed.