Canada Labour Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. L-2)

Marginal note:Duty to certify trade union

28. Where the Board

• (a) has received from a trade union an application for certification as the bargaining agent for a unit,

• (b) has determined the unit that constitutes a unit appropriate for collective bargaining, and

• (c) is satisfied that, as of the date of the filing of the application or of such other date as the Board considers appropriate, a majority of the employees in the unit wish to have the trade union represent them as their bargaining agent,

the Board shall, subject to this Part, certify the trade union making the application as the bargaining agent for the bargaining unit.

Marginal note:Representation vote

• 29. (1) The Board may, in any case, for the purpose of satisfying itself as to whether employees in a unit wish to have a particular trade union represent them as their bargaining agent, order that a representation vote be taken among the employees in the unit.

• Marginal note:Employees not in a unit

  (1.1) Any person who was not an employee in the bargaining unit on the date on which notice to bargain collectively was given, and was hired or assigned after that date to perform all or part of the duties of an employee in the bargaining unit on strike or locked out, is not an employee in the unit.

• Marginal note:Mandatory vote

  (2) Where a trade union applies for certification as the bargaining agent for a unit in respect of which no other trade union is the bargaining agent, and the Board is satisfied that not less than thirty-five per cent and not more than fifty per cent of the employees in the unit are members of the trade union, the Board shall order that a representation vote be taken among the employees in the unit.

• Marginal note:Determination of union membership

  (3) Where the Board is satisfied that a trade union has an established practice of admitting persons to membership without regard to the eligibility requirements of its charter, constitution or by-laws, the Board may disregard those requirements in determining whether a person is a member of a trade union.

Marginal note:Conduct of vote

• 30. (1) Where the Board orders that a representation vote be taken among employees in a unit, the Board shall

  • (a) determine the employees that are eligible to vote; and

  • (b) make such arrangements and give such directions as the Board considers necessary for the proper conduct of the representation vote, including the preparation of ballots, the method of casting and counting ballots and the custody and sealing of ballot boxes.

• Marginal note:Choice

  (2) Where the Board orders that a representation vote be taken on an application by a trade union for certification as the bargaining agent for a unit in respect of which no other trade union is the bargaining agent, the Board shall include on the ballots a choice whereby an employee may indicate that they do not wish to be represented by any trade union named on the ballots.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (3) Notwithstanding subsection (2), where the employees in a unit have cast ballots in favour of all trade unions involved in a representation vote totalling more than fifty per cent of all the ballots cast but have not given majority support to one trade union in that vote and, as a result, a second or subsequent representation vote is required, the Board shall not be required to include the choice referred to in subsection (2) in the ballots for the second or subsequent vote.