Thank you very much.
I'd first like to thank the committee for allowing me to appear by video conference. It's much appreciated.
I am the chair of the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which is responsible for the administration, interpretation, and enforcement of part I of the Canada Labour Code. Part I governs the relationship between unions and employers in the federally regulated private sector.
Ms. Cyr has already given you an indication of what that federally regulated private sector encompasses.
Under part I, the board hears applications related to the acquisition and termination of bargaining rights, unfair labour practice complaints, and the maintenance of activities that are essential to public health and safety in the event of a work stoppage.
We very rarely hear any cases directly related to harassment of any kind, let alone sexual harassment. The only way in which those cases tend to come before the board is in respect to an obligation that unions have under the code to fairly represent all of the employees in a bargaining unit. The union is obliged to act in a manner that is not discriminatory, in bad faith, or arbitrary.
I had a survey done of the cases since the amendments to the Canada Labour Code—