Key Terms
The group of employees a union is seeking to represent is called this.
What is the bargaining unit (or “unit”)?
Before anything moves forward, the application should use the correct form that matches the Code section being used.
What is “use the appropriate forms”?
A vote must generally be conducted within this many days for certifications/decertifications.
What is five days?
A membership card must be completed in this way by the individual.
What is “signed and dated by the person named, at the same time”?
At the start of a hearing, the Vice‑Chair typically does introductions and asks parties what issues they have with the application/voters list/notice.
What is “raising issues/concerns at the hearing”?
The Board’s “big concern” when it looks at a unit description is whether both sides understand who is included.
What is “mutual understanding” of who the union seeks to represent?
To avoid delays, forms should include full contact information for both of these parties.
What are the union and the employer?
Hearings are commonly scheduled at one of these two start times.
What are 9:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.?
Membership cards generally must be signed within this time before the application date (or show active membership via dues).
What is six months?
Parties may be directed to meet with this role to try to resolve issues informally.
What is the SIO (Special Investigating Officer)?
These happen when a membership card doesn’t show up on the payroll list provided by the employer
What are orphaned cards?
Under section 142, applications should include the existing unit description, the new employees to be added, and the new unit description.
What is “a complete before/after unit description (plus who is being added)”?
Most votes are now done electronically using this platform.
What is Simply Voting?
The Board insists on a high degree of integrity/precision because membership evidence is this.
What is strictly confidential?
The Board may grant certification right at the hearing if no issues are identified.
What is “an order for certification”?
A common objection that argues certification would create an unworkable bargaining setup is called this.
What is an appropriateness objection?
After an application is processed, the Registry notifies the employer with a notice that includes the hearing date/time and other expectations.
What is “the Registry notice to the employer”?
For electronic votes, the “voting instructions email” is usually sent about this long before voting begins.
What is generally 24 hours before the vote begins?
“Signing for an employee” is an example of something that can get a card bounced.
What is an invalid card issue (a reason a card may be rejected)?
In in‑person votes, each side may send this person to observe and challenge ballots.
What is a scrutineer?
This describes the type of body the Labour Relations Board is (think: not a court, but formal).
What is a quasi‑judicial tribunal?
For certification matters, the process includes an Officer who “has conduct of the vote” and prepares key information for the Vice‑Chair and parties.
What is the Officer’s role (conducting the vote / preparing the Officer’s Report)?
If the application is below this threshold, the Vice‑Chair may direct that a vote be conducted.
What is 55%?
The Board no longer accepts this method to “rehabilitate” deficient cards.
What are statutory declarations?
This Code section is referenced as relaxing the rules of evidence (staff version: “the process can be more flexible than court”).
What is section 124?