Directions to The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

The British Columbia Government has implemented a "net zero" bargaining mandate for public sector bargaining, meaning that any wage increases must be offset by savings in other parts of the collective agreement. How has "net zero" impacted on the bargaining process and on the ability of unions to secure better working conditions for workers? Can wage restraints be justified from an economic and constitutional perspective? Lancaster's panel of experts will address these and the following issues:

• Impact on Bargaining: What creative strategies have unions and management employed to achieve changes to the collective agreement in the context of "net zero"?
• Impact on Private Sector: How have public sector salaries been tracking those in the private sector? Will public sector wage freezes have any impact on the bargaining of private sector wages?
• Other Impacts: What are the likely impacts of government-imposed wage restraints away from the bargaining table? Will the limited scope of negotiations free up resources for non-bargaining activity? Will it affect the rate of organizing? Political activity?
• Impact on Economy: What is the likely impact of public sector wage restraints on the British Columbia economy?

Changing economic conditions in Canada and worldwide have given rise to concern about the forecast for public sector bargaining in 2010/11. In this perennially popular session, leading economists review market conditions affecting bargaining, and industrial relations experts examine what the economic forecast means for setting bargaining agendas and predicting bargaining trends. Topics to be discussed include:

• Current Economic Climate: What accounts for the recent improvements in British Columbia's economy? What has been the experience with real wage gains in 2009/10? To what extent is inflation a current threat to the economy? What impact will international developments have on the future of Canada's economy?
• Government Intervention: To what degree will further government stimulus be required? Will restraint measures imposed by the government have a real impact on the economy? What have previous government mandates accomplished? What will or could the government do in the future?
• Bargaining Priorities: What will the likely bargaining priorities be for public sector unions and employers in 2011/12?
• Impact on Bargaining: How have recent improvements in the economy impacted on public sector negotiations? How have non-union workers fared in terms of base pay increases as compared to unionized workers? What accounts for this difference? Are these trends likely to continue?
• Private Sector: How will private sector settlements influence the outcome of public sector bargaining?

A designation of essential services may be made by the Minister of Labour where a dispute arising out of collective bargaining poses a threat to the health, safety or welfare of residents. But what are essential services? Can essential services legislation be reconciled with an employee's right to freedom of association? Lancaster's panel of experts will address these and the following issues:

• Determination of Essential Services: What factors do labour boards review in determining essential service levels? What are the impacts of high essential services levels? How have these issues played out in the healthcare industry? What was the effect of the essential service designation on the duration and nature of the paramedic dispute and its ultimate resolution? Is there free bargaining when essential service levels are so high?
• Essential Service Legislation in Saskatchewan: What did the ILO Freedom of Association Committee find with respect to Saskatchewan's essential services legislation? What effect, if any, is this decision likely to have on Canadian case law? How are the courts likely to decide this case and what will be the impact?
• Essential Services and Replacement Workers: What is the interplay between essential service orders and replacement worker prohibitions?
• Common Site Picketing: How does the regulation of essential services interact with the regulation of common site picketing?
• Teachers: Are they essential services?

A panel of leading labour and management counsel, joined by a prominent neutral, will discuss the most significant decisions of the year issued by courts and labour boards, dealing with bargaining in good faith and other issues relating to collective bargaining law. The final selection of cases for this perennially popular session takes place a few weeks before the conference, so that up-to-the-minute coverage can be assured.

Directions to The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver