Provincial and Territorial Affairs

Provinces and Territories are responsible for over 90% of the Canadian workforce.  The Canadian Association of Administrators of Labour Legislation (CAALL) is an association of federal-provincial-territorial departments of labour and heads of occupational safety and health agencies.  It provides a continuous forum for federal, provincial and territorial senior officials to coordinate discussion and cooperation on key labour issues.  The organization maintains five dedicated committees, with each jurisdiction invited to place at least one senior representative on each standing committee: the Mediation and Conciliation Standing Committee; the Labour Standards Standing Committee; the Occupational Safety and Health Standing Committee; the Strategic Labour Policy Standing Committee; and the International Labour Affairs Standing Committee.

There is also provincial and territorial involvement in the Labour Cooperation Agreements (LCAs) that Canada signs with its international trading partners.  LCAs respect the provinces' and territories' jurisdictional responsibility in the area of labour, and two intergovernmental agreements have been developed outlining federal, provincial and territorial accountabilities in the implementation of these agreements. 

The Canadian Association of Administrators of Labour Legislation (CAALL)

Established in 1938, CAALL is an association of federal-provincial-territorial departments of labour and heads of occupational safety and health agencies.  It provides a continuous forum for federal, provincial and territorial senior officials.  CAALL provides governments with an opportunity to develop strong and cooperative working relationships.

Through CAALL, Deputy Ministers, as well as other senior officials, have a means of working together in seeking solutions to similar problems.  CAALL also serves as the vehicle for preparations (development of the agenda, background papers and logistics) for federal-provincial-territorial meetings of Ministers responsible for Labour, as well as on the follow-up required on issues as directed by Ministers.

CAALL has established a number of standing committees to fulfil the objectives of the Association.  It is at the committee level that a good deal of shared activity is carried out on an ongoing basis by the federal, provincial and territorial government officials involved.  Each jurisdiction is invited to place at least one senior representative on each Standing Committee.  The CAALL Standing Committees are: Mediation and Conciliation; Labour Standards; Occupational Safety and Health; Strategic Labour Policy; and International Labour Affairs.

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Provincial and Territorial Involvement in Labour Cooperation Agreements

Labour Cooperation Agreements (LCAs) that Canada signs with its international trading partners respect the provinces ' and territories ' jurisdictional responsibility in the area of labour. Federal, provincial and territorial governments have developed a concrete set of practices for provincial and territorial participation in the negotiation of LCAs, as well as a shared understanding of the objectives that Canada will pursue in negotiating these. Canadian intergovernmental agreements have also been developed to provide for a mechanism by which provinces and territories can participate in the implementation of Canada's LCAs.

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