The fonds consists of correspondence, memoranda, reports, financial materials, proceedings, research materials, and subject files pertaining to the overall activities of the Institute of Industrial Relations.

The collection documents Mark Thompson's involvement in the arbitration of labour disputes in British Columbia. It consists of published conference proceedings (1967-1979), copies of various collective agreements, arbitration and mediation case files (1973-1988), and reviews of the Employment Standards Act (1990-1996), and includes correspondence, reports, legal documents, notes, and published materials.