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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBarei 89-05-15INTHEHATTEROFANARBITRATION BETWEEN:ST.CLAIRCOLLEGE TheEmployer AND ONTARIOPUBLICSERVICEEMPLOYEESUNION TheUnion ANDINTHEMATTEROFTHEGRIEVANCEOFK.Bareiallegingimproperlay-off (OPSEUFileNo.88C427) BOARDOFARBITRATION:D.D.Carter,Chair D.W.Guptill,EmployerNominee E.Seymour,UnionNominee APPEARANCES: ForTheUnion:L.Trachuk,Counsel W.Stammler,ChiefSteward K.Barei,Grievor FortheEmployer:C.White,Counsel G.Zubyk,Director,PersonnelServices N.Chartrand,Chairman,BusinessDepartment ForTheIncumbent:E.Womack,TeachingMaster AhearinginthismatterwasheldinWindsoronApril26,1989. PRELIMINARYAWARD Thisgrievanceallegesthatthegrievor,KathrynBarei,Waslaid-offin contraventionofthetermsofarticle8.05ofthecollectiveagreement coveringacademicemployees.Thegrievor,ateacherofaccounting,had senioritythatdatedbacktoSeptember15,1976.Thegistofhergrievanceis thatotherteachersintheemployer'sBusinessDepartmentwithlessseniority wereretainedasteachersinthatdepartmentwhileshewasgivennoticeof lay-offonJune15,1988. Attheoutsetofthehearingbothpartiesagreedthatthemannerinwhich theywouldpresenttheirrespectivecaseswoulddependontheinterpretation thatthisboardgivestoarticle8.05.Inordertoexpeditethehearingof thismatteritwasdecidedthatweshouldissueapreliminaryawardsetting outourunderstandingoftheintentandmeaningofthisprovision,andthen proceedtodealwiththemeritsofthegrievancetodetermineiftherehad beenabreachofarticle8.05. Thepartiesadvisedtheboardthatarticle8.05hadbeenamendedinthe lastroundofnegotiationsbetweentheunionandthecolleges.Priortothis amendmentitreadasfollows: 8.,05WhentheCollegedecidestolayoffortoreducethenumberoffullt imeemployeeswhohavecompletedtheprobationaryperiodortransferinvolunt arilyfull-timeemployeeswhohavecompletedtheprobationaryperiodto anotherpositionfromthatpreviouslyheldasaresultofsuchlay-offorreduction ofemployees,thefollowingplacementanddisplacementprovisionsshallapplytofull-timeemployeessoaffected.Wherethecompetenceskilland experienceofemployeestofulfilltherequirementsofthefull-timepositions concernedarerelativelyequal,seniorityshallapplyconsistent withthefollowing: (a)anemployeewillbereassignedwithintheCollegetoavacantfull timepositioninlieuofbeinglaidoffittheemployeehasthecompetence,skill,andexperiencetoperformtherequirementsofavacantposition; (b)failingplacementunderparagraph(a)above,suchemployeeshallbe 2 reassignedtodisplaceanotherfull-timeemployeeinthesameclassification providedthat: (i)thedisplacingemployeehasthecompetence,skill,andexperiencetofulfilltherequirementsofthepositionrelativelyequaltothe employeebeingdisplaced; (ii)theemployeebeingdisplacedhaslessersenioritywiththe College. (c)failingplacementunderparagraph(b)above,suchemployeeshallbere-assignedtodisplaceafull-timeemployeeinanotherclassificationuponacceptance oftheidenticalemployeeconditionsastheclassification concernedprovidedthat: (d)failingplacementunderparagraph(c)above,suchemployeeshallbere-assignedtodisplaceapartial-loademployee(asreferredtoinAppendixII)orapart-timeemployeeuponacceptanceoftheidenticalemployeecondi tionsasthepartial-loadorpart-timeemployeeconcernedprovidedthat: (i)thedisplacingemployeehasthecompetence,skill,andexperiencetofulfilltherequirementsofthepositionrelativelyequaltothe employeesbeingdisplaced; (ii)thepartial-loadorpart-timeemployeebeingdisplacedhaslesser monthsofservicewiththeCollegeasdeterminedinbothAppendixII andIVthansuchdisplacingemployee'smonthsofseniority. (e)failingplacementunderparagraph(d)above,suchemployeeshallbereassigned todisplaceasessionalemployee(whohasmorethanninety(90)daysremainingonthesessionalemployee'stermappointment)fortheremainder ofsuchsessionalemployee'sappointmentprovidedthat: thedisplacedemployeehasthecompetence,skill,andexperiencetofulfilltherequirementsofthepositionrelativelyequaltotheemployee beingdisplaced.Suchareassignedemployeeshallbelaidoffwithoutfurthernoticeattheterminationofthesessional appointment. Inthecurrentcollectiveagreementarticle8.05nowreads: 8.05WhentheCollegedecidestolayoffortoreducethenumberoffull timeemployeeswhohavecompletedtheprobationaryperiodortransferinvoluntarilyfull-timeemployeeswhohavecompletedtheprobationaryperiodtoanotherpositionfromthatpreviouslyheldasaresultofsuchlay-offorreduction ofemployees,thef611owingplacementanddisplacementprovisions shallapplytofull-timeemployeessoaffected.Whereanemployeehasthecompetence,skill,andexperiencetofulfilltherequirementsofthefull-time positionconcerned,seniorityshallapplyconsistentwiththefollowing: (a)anemployeewillhereassignedwithintheCollegetoavacantfull C "position".Giventhethrustofthisnewlanguage,counselarguedthatthe term"position"mustbedefinedinamannerthatwouldeliminateany competitionbetweenemployeessothatthecompetency,skill,andexperienceof thedisplacingemployeeismeasured,notagainstthatofsomeotheremployee, butagainstsomedefinableconceptofthejobtobeperformed.The"position" inthiscase,therefore,mustbeconsideredasthatofateachingmasterof theaccountingsectionofthebusinessdepartmentsincethisinterpretation providedaclearlyidentifiablestandardagainstwhichthegrievor's competence,skill,andexperiencecouldbemeasured. Counselfortheunionsubmittedthatthisinterpretationof"position" waspreferabletoanyoftheothermeaningsthatmightbegiventhisterm. Althoughpositionmightbedefinedastheparticularbundleofcoursestaught bytheincumbentatthepointatwhichbumpingisinitiated,itwasargued thatthisdefinitionwouldleaveopenthepossibilitythatmanagementcould tailorthecourseloadoftheincumbentinanticipationoflayoff.Counsel furthersubmittedthatitwouldheevenmoreinappropriatetodefine "position"intermsoftheactualqualificationsoftheincumbentasthis approachwouldsimplycreatethesamecompetitionbetweenemployeesasexisted priortotheamendmentofarticle8.05.Anotheralternativewouldbeto define"position"assimplythatofateachingmasterattheCollegebut,as counse!candidlyadmitted,thisinterpretationwouldmeanthatsenioritywould alwaysprevailaslongasanemployeestillhadthecompetency,skill,and experiencetoperformasateacherinsomecapacity. Counselfortheemployersubmittedthattheamendmentofarticle8.05had createdathresholdcompetitionclause.Whileadisplacingemployeedidnot havetoshowcompetence,skill,andexperiencerelativelyequaltothatofthe (i \. incumbent,itwasstillnecessarytoestablishthatshecouldsatisfactorily performtheworkoftheincumbent.Counselsubmittedthat,eventhoughthe responsibilitiesassignedtoanincumbentteachermightnotbestatic,itas stillpossibletodeterminethecontentofthepositionbaseduponpast experienceanditisthisapproachthatthisboardshouldtake. Bothpartiesagreethatarticle8.05nolongercontemplatesacompetition betweenemployees,butdifferastohowthisnewlanguageistobeapplied. Aswereadthislanguageitexpressesanintentionthatthecompetence,skill, andexperienceofthedisplacingemployeebemeasuredagainstthebenchmarkof thecontentofthepositionbeingclaimed.Theproblem,however,istodefine thecontentofthatpositioninanobjectivemannersoastomaintaininthe layoffsituationabalancebetweenrespectforseniorityandrecognitionthat anemployerisnotrequiredtore-organizeitsworkassignmentstoaccommodate theparticularqualificationsofamoresenioremployee.Insituationswhere jobcontentisnotwelldefined,asinthiscase,thistaskcanpose considerabledifficulties. Intheboard'sview,whatonemustdointhiskindofcaseisto determinethecorepatternofdutiesandresponsibilitiesperformedbyan incumbentteacherduringthecourseofheremployment.Itisthiscore patterno£dutiesthatformsthecontentofthepositionagainstwhichthe competence,skill,andexperienceofadisplacingemployeemustbemeasured. Ifitcanbeestablishedthatadisplacingemployeeiscapableofperforming thecorepatternofdutiesandresponsibilitiesbeingperformedbyan incumbentwithlessseniority,thenunderthetermsofarticle8.05the incumbentwouldbedisplaced. Indeterminingthiscorepatternofdutiesandresponsibilities,however, itisnotsufficienttotakeasnapshotofthedutiesandresponsibilitiesof theincumbentatjustonepointoftime.Notonlymaysomeoftheduties changefromsemestertosemester,butsomemayalsobeperipheraltothe centralcoreofduties.Rather,whatwemustdoistoexaminetheactualwork assignmentsgiventoanincumbentoveranextendedperiodoftimetoidentify thebasicpatternofdutiesandresponsibilitiesperformedbythatincumbent. Itisthiscorepatternofdutiesthatmakesupthe"position"andprovidesan objectivestandardagainstwhichtomeasurethecompetence,skill,and experienceofthedisplacingemployee. ThehearingofthismatterwillresumeonThursday,July20,1989. DatedatKingstonthis'%dayofMay,1989. Ieonour/di-,4t D.W.Guptill,EmployerNominee Iconeur/dt E.Seymour,UnioNominee f 7