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September 15, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05-57
GATINEAU, QUEBEC-The Honourable Joe Fontana, Minister of Labour and Housing today announced the creation of the W.P. Kelly Award at the biennial Industrial Relations Conference of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The award honours renowned mediator William Patrick Kelly. Widely respected in mediation circles, Mr. Kelly enjoyed a long career as a federal mediator and was often called in to help resolve the most difficult disputes. The award will be presented once every two years, to a mediator who embodies the qualities Mr. Kelly demonstrated during his long public service career as "Canada's chief mediator."
"I am very proud to announce this award in Bill Kelly's name. He is a legend in mediation circles and thanks to him, many disputes were resolved without work stoppage," says Minister Fontana. "His influence is still being felt in the field of mediation and the award will honour those who follow his example of excellence."
Mr. Kelly was born in Toronto into a 'railway' family. After serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and training as a pilot, Mr. Kelly followed his family path and took a job with Canadian Pacific Railway. There, he worked as a brakeman and conductor before moving on to positions within the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen which would later become the United Transportation Union. While he was serving as International Vice-President, his excellent negotiation skills came to the attention of then-Minister of Labour, John R. Nicholson.
In 1966, Mr. Nicholson recruited Mr. Kelly into the public service as Director of Conciliation and Arbitration where Mr. Kelly continued to prove his abilities by resolving major disputes that affected thousands of Canadians. In 1968, under then-Minister of Labour Bryce Mackasey, he created the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
"I've always been a straight shooter," said Mr. Kelly in an interview shortly before his retirement. "That's my trademark. And then everybody knows I can be tough, but I'm tough on both sides."
Throughout his career, Mr. Kelly was rewarded for his talent and hard work. By 1980 he had risen to the post of Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Labour and was further honoured in 1984 when he received the Order of Canada. Kelly retired in 1989, having achieved the position of Associate Deputy Minister of Labour.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) is part of the federal government's Labour program. The FMCS is responsible for providing dispute resolution and dispute prevention assistance to trade unions and employers under the jurisdiction of the Canada Labour Code. In the past year, it provided mediation services for 285 collective bargaining disputes with approximately 90 per cent of those disputes being settled without a stoppage in work.
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For more information on the Government of Canada's Labour Program, visit our Web site at www.hrsdc.gc.ca
For more information, contact:
Media Inquiries:
Peter Graham
Office of the Minister of Labour and Housing
(819) 953-5646
Public Inquiries:
Elizabeth MacPherson
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
(819) 997-1118
