2022 was an incredibly busy year for the BC Labour Relations Board. For the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown, the number of applications filed with the Board met or exceeded pre-pandemic levels. This was true for all aspects of the Board’s operation; applications for adjudication, applications for mediation, and applications under the Collective Agreement Arbitration Bureau. While the Board continues to see applications filed that concern COVID-19 and, specifically, vaccine policies enacted in response to it, those applications are beginning to wane. Of the 38 decisions rendered under Section 12 in 2022, only six (approximately 16%) concerned COVID-19. Similarly, only one decision was issued under Section 99 (6%) that concerned an arbitrator’s evaluation or interpretation of a vaccine policy. While this arguably represents the beginning of a return to the status quo, from an operational perspective, the Board continues to make use of technologies that it and its stakeholders became accustomed to throughout the pandemic. Specifically, we continue to use electronic voting for Board-ordered votes. We continue to hold hearings and mediations virtually or in-person, depending on the parties’ needs, and will continue to hold all certification hearings virtually. Finally, we converted the first of our hearing rooms to accommodate hybrid meetings, which we anticipate will become the norm in years to come. In our view, these technologies allow us to provide our services more efficiently and affordably, while reducing the environmental impact caused by the travel necessary to hold hearings and mediations exclusively in person. We expect that continued use of these practices and technologies represents the “new normal”. As you will also see from the information presented in this annual report, there has been a significant shift in the type of applications the Board was asked to adjudicate in 2022. The Labour Relations Code Amendment Act, 2022 (Bill 10) was enacted in June 2022 and introduced single-step certification in cases where a union applies with 55% or more support among employees in the proposed unit. This required the Board to reconsider and revise its practice for receiving and processing applications for certification. We have included a section in this report describing our new process and reporting on changes we have seen since Bill 10 was enacted. In 2022, 80% of applications referred to the Board’s adjudication department were expedited files (that is, applications for certification and decertification, unfair labour practice complaints, applications filed under Part 5 of the Code, and stay applications). Two hundred and eight of the applications required oral hearings, resulting in 318 hearing days. Moreover, the cases summarized in the Highlights of Board and Court Decisions section of this report demonstrate the kinds of complex labour relations disputes the Board was asked to decide in 2022. Page 2 2022 Annual Report Finally, all of the major public sector collective agreements in British Columbia expired in 2022. Between November 2021 and April 2022, Board mediators worked with parties to the health, community social services, and public sector agreements to resolve essential service levels in the event of job action. As always, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Board’s staff who continue to work tirelessly to maintain service levels at the highest standard, despite the rollercoaster they have experienced over the last half decade. I thank each and every one of them for their service to the labour relations community. Over the last three years, the labour relations stakeholders in British Columbia have shown incredible resilience, adaptability, and collegiality as we have navigated a oncein-a-century event. While the pandemic may finally feel like it is coming to an end, I hope we continue to show each other the patience, professionalism, and grace that we have done throughout these unprecedented times.