The Future of Arbitration: Is the Current Selection Model Broken?
Ok, this post isn't for the faint of heart, it's hardcore labour relations nerdiness at its core. Every now and then I got to BC Industrial Relations Association events - the local labour relations community - union (mostly staffers), employers, lawyers - gets together to talk about big issues or trends and last night’s event was a big one and one that I think we could all agree on. That there are significant concerns over the shortage of available arbitrators on the roster as well as succession planning for the next generation of arbitrators. For any of us who work in labour relations on a regular basis, it’s not unusual to see that arbitrators calendars are booked so far in advance - even as far as 2 years out. That’s just stupid. Some stats: In 2017 285 appointments for arbitration, mediation and investigations were funnelled through Collective Agreement Arbitration Bureau (CAAB). So what can be done? The panel was great - chock full of experience.