In late August, the NDP government quietly appointed a former union official as the acting chair of the B.C. Labour Relations Board and Employment Standards Tribunal.

Today, Labour Minister Harry Bains announced that Jacquie de Aguayo is now the permanent chair of both bodies.

De Aguayo is a lawyer, former assistant secretary-business manager of the Hospital Employees' Union, and former coordinator of representation with the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

She joined the LRB in 2014 and becomes its first female chair.

"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," Bains said in a news release.

B.C. Federation of Labour president Irene Lanzinger has welcomed the appointment, saying it will "help restore fairness at the LRB and balance in workplaces which will benefit union members and employers alike".

The Labour Relations Board administers the Labour Relations Code. This means it deals with disputes between unions and employers and hears complaints by union members who feel that their labour organization has represented them in an arbitrary or discriminatory manner or acted in bad faith.

The Employment Standards Tribunal hears appeals of decisions involving complaints from nonunionized workers who feel that their employer has not adhered to the Employment Standards Act.