What is Grievance Mediation?

During the course of a collective agreement occasional disputes are a normal occurrence.. That's why the labour relations act requires that all collective agreements contain a dispute resolution mechanism. Grievance Mediation can help solve these disputes. Many grievances are settled prior to arbitration, either by the parties themselves or with the assistance of a mediator.

Does the Labour Relations Act require mediation?

No. Grievance mediation can be agreed to by the parties ignorer to solve a specific problems or the parties can agree ahead of time by putting a mediation clause into the collective agreement.

Why Mediate a Grievance?

Mediating a grievance allows both parties to retain control over the process and the outcome. Mediation creates the possibility of creative solving and can strengthen the union management relationship. There is no risk in exploring potential settlement options.

No Risk to Mediation?

Because each party retains all the control they had prior to the mediation, and because all communications that happen during the mediation itself are without prejudice, mediation is generally regarded as a low or no risk option to attempt to find common ground. The next step for the grievance is binding arbitration. Arbitration carries significant risks for both parties.

Multiple Mini Mediations

If you have a number of grievances that have been unresolved, you may find our Multiple Mini Mediations useful. We will work with both parties to schedule a number of grievance mediations on the same day. This model requires a bit more preparation on our part but allows the parties to clear grievance backlogs.