Jacquie de Aguayo has been appointed chair of the B.C. Labour Relations Board and the Employment Standards Tribunal, Labour Minister Harry Bains announced today.

The appointment comes after de Aguayo served as the acting chair for a five-month term, following the departure of the former chair in August 2017.

“The new appointment not only brings a wealth of talent and experience to the position after a competitive hiring process determined de Aguayo as the best candidate for the position, but demonstrates the commitment this government has to gender equity both inside and outside of government,” Bains said, adding that de Aguayo is the first female chair appointed for the B.C. Labour Relations Board and Employment Standards Tribunal. “The government sought a new vision and direction for the board and is confident that the new chair will help realize the goal of revitalizing the board’s work.”

De Aguayo was appointed as vice-chair of the Labour Relations Board on March 14, 2014, became the board’s registrar on Sept. 1, 2015, and was appointed acting chair on Aug. 24, 2017. Following a merit-based application process by the Crown Agencies and Board Resourcing Office, de Aguayo was confirmed in the permanent role.

De Aguayo holds a bachelor of arts degree and a bachelor of laws degree from the University of Toronto. She was called to the bar in Ontario in 1998 and practised labour relations, employment and constitutional law on behalf of unions and employees. In 2002, de Aguayo became in-house counsel for the Public Service Alliance of Canada, a national trade union. In 2010, de Aguayo moved to Vancouver, was called to the bar in British Columbia, and began working at the Hospital Employees’ Union as legal director. She was later appointed as its assistant secretary business manager and legal director.

The Labour Relations Board is an independent administrative tribunal with the mandate to mediate and resolve disputes related to unionized workplaces under the Labour Relations Code. The Employment Standards Tribunal conducts hearings of appeals and decisions made by the Employment Standards Branch, which is established under the Employment Standards Act. Combined, these mechanisms provide workers and employers the ability to resolve workplace disputes in a fair and efficient manner.