HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986-0424.Farrelly.88-03-24Between:
Eefore:
.~:.I.” THE AWTTER OF AN ARBITRATION
Under
THE CKOWN EMPLOYEES COLLiCTiVE BARGAINING ACT
Before
THE GRIEVANCE SETTLENEXT BOARD
OPSEU (C. FarrellyJ
- and -
Grievor
The Crown in Right of Ontario
(tiinistry of Correctional Services)
Emp!oyer
P.?l. Draper - Vice-Chairman
G.A. Nabi - Member
L. Foreman - Member
For the Grievor: R. Anand
Counsel
Cavalluzzo, Hayes and Lrnnon
Bz.rristers and Solicitors
For the Employer .i.F. Benedict
sanager
Staff Ke1acior.s and Compensation
r:inistry of Correctional Ser’Jices
I
314/86. 424/86
DECISION
The Grievor, Sean Farrelly, was employed as a
correctional officer at the Wellington Detention Centre from
- January, 1980 until he left the publics service in September,
1986. At the material time he was a General Duty Officer,
classified C02.
Prior to :964 Generai Duty Officers were assigned in
rotation to various areas of the institution including the
AdmittingiCischarge (A/D) Section. In early 1984the employer
established the position of Senior Admitting/Discharge Officer,
ciassified C03. The opening was posted and a job competition
was held in which the~Grievor was a candidate. The position was
awarded to William Lambert who had also been a General Duty
Officer. Mr. Lambert is permanently assigned to the day shift
in the A/D section which is from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. five
days per week: From November, 1985 to April, 1986 the Grievor
was assig~,qed to the afternoon shift in the section which is
from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. five days per week.
The Grievor flied two grievances in March, 1986
ciaiming in dne that his position was improperly classified and
to perform duties outside those of the CO2 classification and
within those of the CO3 classification.
Artic
Zor present purposes the relevant provisions of
le 6 are:
Where an employee is assigned temporarily to perform
the duties of a position in a classification with a
higher saiary maximum for a period in excess of five
(5) consecutive working days, he shall be paid acting
pay from the day he commenced to perform the duties
of the higher ciassification in accordance with the
next higher rate in the highericlassification,
provided that where such a change results in an
increase of less than three percent (3%). he shall
receive the next higher salary rate again.
6.4 .i
This Article shall nat apply to temporary assignments
where an employee is temporarily assigned to perform
the duties and responsibilities of another employee
who is on vacation.
6.6.1
Where an employee is assigned temporarily to a
position, Article 4 (Posting and Filing of Vacancies
or New Positions) shall not apply except where:
. .(i) the term of a temporary assignment is greater than six months auration, and
(ii) The specif ic dates of the term are established
‘at least two (2 j months in advance of the
commencement of the temporary assignment. (--
6.6.2
Except as provided in 6.6.1, in no case shall any
provision of the Collective Agreement with,respect to
the filling of, assignment or appointment to-a
vacancy apply to temporary assignments.
It is argued for the Grievor that he performed the same duties
as ?-4r. Lambent, the Senior-Admitting/Discharge Officer did., As
we understand counsel's submission, it is that without in fact
reclassifying the Grievor's position from CC2 to CO3 we should
find that for the purposes of Article 6 he was performing the
duties of apposition in the higher ciassification.
The Grievor was not the first General.Duty Officer to
be assigned to' the A/D section following the establishment of
the Senior Admitting/Discharge Officer position. The term of
his assignment was indefinite and was of relatively long
duration beta-use he wanted and asked for the assignment and the
Empioyer was happy to have a willing and competent employee in
place. But it is not in dispute that the assignment was
temporary and there is no evidence that in assigning the
Grievor the Employer was abandoning the practice of rotating
General Duty Officers into the A/D sqctior.. The mutualiy
acceptable,arrangement between the Grievor and the Employer
could have ended at any time, in which event the Grievor would
have been assigned elsewhere and another CC2, and presumably
other "02:s in rotation, wouid h;-.~:e succeeded him:.
and forming only a part of the regular duties of their position
and classification may constitute proper grounds for the.
reclassification of the position. Further, we are of the view
that Article 6.1.1 is intended ~to apply only where a,n employee
is temp~orarily assigned to perform the duties of a position
already found in a higher classification and where that
employee is temporariiy replacing another employee (except an
employee on vacation) or is temporarily filling a vacancy. Here
the Grievor was not assigned to~~perform the duties of the
Senior Admitting/Dischazge Officer position. He was not
repiacing Mr. Lamberr nor was that ?osirion vacant. ~-
Apart from those conslderati 0x4 and because the
parties addressed the case, in effect, as one of
classification, we believe it is appropriate to record our
opinion regard~ing the simila.ri'ty, or lack thereof, between the
duties of Mr. Lambert as Senior Admitting/Discharge officer and
those ~performed by the Grievor while assigned to the A/D :.
section.
We heard extensive testimony from the Grievor, Mr.
Lambert and William Miller, Deputy Superintendent, Wellington
Detention Centre, among others. Documents filed in evidence
included the Lpec ifications for the General Duty Officer and
The riSi,t of the Empi??er to r~r+~at.: and ci;i,:sify :!,r-,
new position. and to fix irs luries and responsibilities, which
were derived from the ciass sta.i!da:d for the CO3
classlG'-9tion, is not I&*.... in question. The incumbent is to serve
"as offLcer ::-I charge of a speclalize? irstit~atdonal function
~(admitting and discharge)" and to be "responsibie for the
efficient operation" of the SectLon by personally carrying oilt
admission and discharge procedures for inmates and providing
leadersklp, supervision and assistance "to Generai Duty :~
3fficers assLgr.ed 0~ a rotatior,al basis" to tl2.e section..
The Grie-<or testified tha.t wh$le on hir; sY.lft be was
":lis 3wr. bss" ad was p.ot s-:Ypr,.r~s& by yr. 7.,-h--+ There __.. .--.. . .
Were few tasks performed by Mr. Lambert which he did not also
perform: He hat 20 supervisory authority himse1.f. His duties
were essentiallv the sane as those performed b-9 CO2's in t:n.e
A/'D section before Mr. Lambert's appointment. Mr. Lambert
testified that he has respor.slSjlity for the oserwtion of the
section. He does not take a "boss-assistant" approach to his
job. Mr. Mii;er testified that Mr. Lambert reports to the Shift
Scprrviso~, his appointment is permanent, his positior. is
in!?ediaiely beiow t:?e first Zeve; of mar.agement a::d is ?art of
the "chain of comma.?d", and he is held'ultimately ressonsijle
by management fdr t.h& admiKtir.g and disc:?arge f::r;cTic)n.
We co:.c?ude :?a: :.-.+ <;T1p:~rly ;x.:>;: i.;:. -aa.,::'7e'ry
.-~i,y.!-i,,! .;., ;'.,: ::;;:; ,,... *,f :,j:p '::e:;.,F~ L c,.,>: ~::? ::7,:;... WI. : :i. .5. :-!I<..~..
y,F.,'r.;i:,.!r s..b.ic:r- ,T.n,?j t*.?.- :y. ~il,,i-(.',-.,n *,~;'f21'e +:;=^ :~; , :: L.~.
supervision by Mr. Lambert. However, the essential distinction
between the jobs performed by the two employees lies in the
responsibility and accountability for the A/D function borne by
Mr. Lambert. That is no less his obligation because he saw no
need to exert the authority of his position in relation to the
Grievor who was, after all, an experienced C02. The development
of a close and amicable relationship betwe~en them is not proof
that-that authority was not there to be exercised, or that
because it was not they shared reqonsibility for the A/C
section.
In the result, we find that the.grievances are not
well fcur.ded and they are hereby dismis~sed.
Dated at Toronto, Ontario
This 24th day of March, 1988~.
P.M. Draper - Vice-Chairman
G, A. tiabl - Member
L. Foreman - Men!ber