OTTAWA, ONTARIO, July 25, 2003 – The Honourable Stéphane Dion, President of the Privy Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, today announced the appointment of Ms. Sylvie Matteau as Deputy Chairperson of the Public Service Staff Relations Board.

Ms. Matteau was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1981 and has practised law in Montreal since 1987, where she established one of Quebec’s first professional mediation services. She has extensive experience as a mediator and arbitrator, and has dedicated her practice since 1996 to dispute resolution, specifically in the workplace, including mediation, facilitation, consultation and training. She is active in promoting dispute resolution alternative processes as a member of or speaker to professional associations and interest groups. As such she was recently invited to McGill University, the Universidad Pontifica Catholica de Chili and the Independent Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia. She was a member of the steering committee and facilitator of the Canadian Forum on Conflict Resolution in 1995 and since 2000 has been Chairperson for the Conflict Resolution Network Canada, a national organization promoting peaceful conflict resolution, as well as Chairperson of Quebec’s Committee on the implementation of family mediation, reporting directly to Quebec’s Minister of Justice.

The Public Service Staff Relations Board is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal responsible for the administration of systems of collective bargaining and grievance adjudication under the Public Service Staff Relations Act and the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act. In addition, the Board administers certain provisions of Part II of the Canada Labour Code concerning occupational health and safety of public servants. The Board is also responsible for the administration of the Yukon Public Service Staff Relations Act and the Yukon Education Staff Relations Act.

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