HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-1034.Boru.95-01-19 ~"' · · ' ONTARIO EMPLOYES DE LA COURONNE
CROWN EMPLOYEE$ DE {. 'ON TARIO
GRIEVANCE C,OMMISSlON DE
· SETTLEMENT REGLEMENT
BOARD DES GRIEFS
'~80 DUNDAS STREET WEST, SUITE ~00, TORONTO, ONTARiO, M5G 1Z8 TELEPHONE/TELEPHONE: {,4 ;'6) 326-1388
'180. RUE DUNDAS OUEST, BUREAU 2100. TORONTO ~ONTARIO). MSG IZ8 FACSIMt£E/T~f.~COPtE : (4~6) 326- I396
1034/89
IN THE HATTER OF AN ARBITI~ATION
Under
THE CROWN EMPLOYEES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ACT
Before
THE GRIEVANCE SETTLEMENT BOARD
BETWEEN
CUPE (Boru)
Grievor
- and -
The Crown in Right of Ontario
(Workers Compensation Board )
Employer
BEFORE: G. simmons Vice-Chairperson
J. Laniel Member
H. Roberts Member
FOR THE S. Krashinsky
UNION Counsel
.Sack, Goldblatt & Mitchell
Barristers & Solicitors
FOR THE D. Wakely
EMPLOYER, Counsel
Filion Wakely & ThoruP
Barristers & Solicitors
HEARING February 6, 1991
October 2, 23, 24, 1991
August 5, 11, 1992
September 9, 10, 1992
February 2, 12, 1993
July 26, 1993
August 17, 20, 1993
January 4, 12, 1994
April 14, 1994
June 23, 1994
August 16, 1994
You commenced your absence from work and receipt of Long-Term Disability
Benefits on July 24, 1987. At that time, you were employed as a Rehabilitation
Counsellor in the Commutations Section. On July 22, 1987, you were placed
on a one day decision-making leave without pay effective July 23, 1987. You
were advised at that time that should you wish to remain in the employ of the
Board, continued disruptive or inappropriate behaviour would result in further
corrective action being taken, including longer decision-making leaves or
termination of employment. It is to be noted that the Memorandum dated
July 22, 1987 followed a number of memoranda concerning deficiencies in
your performance, including a lengthy memo delineating required
improvements date.d June 5, 1987.
Your doctor certified that you were fit to return to work in January of 1988.
At that time, the Board decided to create and place you in a temporary
position with the Investigation Services Section until disposition of the criminal
charges referred to above was complete. The position in which you were
placed, Controller, was clerical in nature and was purposefully Iow profile, with
no interaction with the Board's clients and minimal interaction with Board
employees.
During the course of 1988, you engaged in a pattern of progressively more
inappropriate and confrontational behaviour with your supervisors and
workers. This pattern of behaviour culminated in December of 1988, and
resulted in the decision to place you on a leave of absence with pay pending
disposition of the criminal charges against you. You were advised that at that
time the t3oard would make a decision with respect to your continued
employment taking into account your employment and disciplinary record,
your pattern of disruptive conduct, and, the circumstances and import of the
activities which gave rise to the criminal charges against you.
As a result of your inappropriate behaviour in the work place exacerbated by
the nature of the offences for which you have pteaded guilty and have been
convicted, there continues to be substantial resistance by other employees to
your return to the work place. Your presence in the work place has been
disruptive and in all likelihood would continue to be disruptive if you were to
return to work.
Further, and undoubtedly need~ess to say, the nature of the activities for which
you have been criminally convicted, and their public disclosure, renders your
conduct injurious to the generat reputation of the Workers' Compensation
Board. It also renders you unfit for your regular duties as a Field Rehabilitation
Counsellor or for any other position which involves client contact.
You have requested vacation leave from June 15, 1989 to August 25, 1989.
In view of the decision of the Board to terminate your employment, you will
be paid for your accumulated vacation credits in lieu of vacation.
In summary, the Board has reviewed the nature of the criminal charges with
respect to which you plead guilty and were convicted, the fact and [ength of
your sentence, your prior employment record and, in particular, your record of
inappropriate behaviour and conduct at work and has determined that your
continued employment is not consistent with the best interests of the Board
or other management and non-management employees of the Board.
Pursuant to your request, a copy of this letter has been forwarded to the Union
and to your lawyer.
4
The hearing first convened on February 6, 1991 during which the entire day was
consumed by the opening statements of counsel.
The second day of hearing was October 2, 1991. At the beginning of the hearing
on that day counsel provided the Panel with two copies of a transcript of the court
proceedings on February 27, 1989 and requested that the Panel read the transcript. The
Vice-Chair did not make himself available of this offer but each of the Panel members did
so. Upon reconvening, the Panel suggested to counsel that the matter be referred to
"special mediation" before proceeding further. The' parties agreed to this procedure
whereupon the Panel arranged to have Ms. Natalie Bronstein, an experienced mediation
officer, join the parties.
Ms. ~3ronstein's efforts were somewhat successful in that the Panel was advised by
the parties that the Employer had placed an offer with the Union at approximately
2:10 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2 which it would leave open until 4:00 p.m. Friday but
if not accepted at that time it would be withdrawn and the matter would proceed.
Apparently, the offer was not accepted and the matter proceeded.
We turn now to briefly outline the background concerning this matter. The grievor
first became employed with the Employer on March 7, 1977. From 1979 until 1985 he was
employed as a Field Rehabilitation Counsellor. His duties included visiting homes of injured
workers with a view to ascertaining their present condition and ascertaining their
approximate date of return. In other words, his role was to investigate the conditions of
injured workers who were receiving compensation benefits from the Workers'
Compensation Board. By October, 1985 the grievor claimed that the workload had grown
to such an extent that he was unable to cope and presented a medical certificate
5
requesting that his caseload be reduced or that he be switched to some function that
required little or no personal contact with injured workers (Exhibit 4/Tab t). The Employer
complied and assigned the grievor to a temporary position in the Vocational Counselling
Branch which required him to work primarily out of head office in what was considered
to be primarily an in-house setting (Exhibit 4/Tab 8). The grievor's physician informed the
Employer on February 27, 1986 that~ the restrictions he advocated in October were to be
considered permanent (Exhibit 4flab 10). Unfortunately,-the temporary position that had
been assigned to the grievor could no longer be extended after March 7, 1986
(Exhibit 4frab 13). The grievor then sought to be re-employed within the Vocational
Rehabilitation Division but was denied this request (Exhibit 4/Tab 14). The grievor then
filed a grievance claiming that he was unjustly denied the position of Vocational
Rehabilitation Counsellor in the Commutations Section. The parties resolved the matter
by offering the grievor a three month trial period in the Commutations Section
(Exhibit 4/Tab 15). In charge of Commutations and Pensions Advances Section was Mr. J.
Pompa, Administrator.
On September 12, 1986 the grievor's physician issued a medical certificate stating
that the grievor was fit to return to his regular work as a Field Counsellor (Exhibit 4/
Tab 23). However, there were concerns about placing the grievor back to performing the
duties of Rehabilitation Counsellor until it was established that he could perform the
functions of'the position (Exhibit 4/Tab 24). By mid-November, 1986 the Union was
becoming involved in the situation (Exhibit 4frab 25). Near the end of October the grievor
went to Mr. Pompa's office and verbally complained about not considering him for, a Field
Counselling position (Exhibit 4frab 26). By February, 1987 the grievor was being cautioned
6
about language he was using to a fellow worker (Exhibit 4/Tab 28) and in June, 1987 he
was given a memorandum which set out certain improvements that were required of him
(Exhibit 4/Tab 29). Also in June, the grievor was being advised about leaving the work
floor without advising his team coordinator before doing so (Exhibit 4fTab 31). All of this
culminated on July 23, 1987 when the grievor was given a one-day suspension by
Mr. Pompa concerning his inappropriate and disruptive behaviour in the section where he
was working. Mr. Pompa's comments are instructive and read as follows:
Subject: DECISION-MAKiNG LEAVE
i refer to our meetings of July 13 and 20, 1987, regarding complaints relating
to disruptive and inappropriate behaviour on July 9 and 15, 1987.
1 have investigated and evaluated these issues, including taking fully into
consideration your versions of what occurred on the dates in question.
It is determined your behaviour was inappropriate and was disruptive to the
section's operations. As these matters are clearly outlined in Mr. P. Nolis' tDC
of June 5, 1987, 1 have no alternative but to place you on a one-day decision-
making leave without pay, effective Wednesday, July 23, 1987.
It is expected that you will take this time to decide whether you wish to
continue to be employed by the Workers' Compensation Board and resolve the
problem outlined above.
Please advise me on July 24, 1987 of your decision.
If following this decision-making leave, should you wish to continue'
employment and there is continued disruptive, or inappropriate behaviour,
further corrective action will be taken. Such action could include longer
decision-making leaves or termination of employment.
I would tike to assure you that I and the section team co-ordinators are more
than willing to provide assistance to you should you require it.
On July 24, 1987 the grievor was placed on Long-Term Disability. In November,
1987 he was charged with the offences that have been mentioned above. The grievor
presented a doctor's Certificate to the Employer on January 4, 1988 indicating that he was
fit to return to work in his Field Rehabilitation Counsellor position (Exhibit 5). A meeting
7
was held on January 5 by members of management to discuss the grievor's placement. It
was decided'that the grievor would be returned to active employment but would be
placed in a position that would not have contact with the public and minimal contact with
fellow workers. As a result, he was assigned the position of "Controller" in Investigation
Services. He commenced active employment on January 11, 1988 in the Investigation
Services under Mr. David Chrastina, Manager. It was Mr. Chrastina's understanding that
he was to provide empJoyment for the grievor until March, 1988 when the charges against
the grievor were scheduled to be heard in court. Unfortunately, the cOurt hearing
scheduled for March, 1988 was postponed until September when a trial date was set for
November, 1988. This date was further delayed to February 27, 1989. It was at the
February 27, 1989 court hearing that the grievor and his co-accused pled guilty to six
charges of sexual assault and gross indecency. Sentencing was put over until May 12, 1989
but because of a delay encountered in completing a psychiatric evaluation report on the
grievor the sentencing was held over until June 14, 1989.
The grievor's presence in Investigation Services continued through 1988 while the
matter was proceeding through the court. It was during this period that the grievor's
behaviour became somewhat "weird" in the work place. The grievor was placed on a paid
leave of absence commencing January 6, 1989 which continued through June 14, 1989
when he was sentenced to nine months incarceration.
8
GRIEVOR'S WEIRD BEHAVIOUR AT WORK
The grievor's testimony is referred to periodically throughout this decision and
particularly in this section. The Union sought protection of the grievor's evidence under
the Ontario Evidence AR the Canada Evidence Act, and the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms which the Panel extended to the grievor in these proceedings.
Mr. Jim Daty, Program Advisor, Investigation Services, related an experience or
encounter he had with the grJevor. Mr. Daly stated that the grievor reported to Ms. Rita
Giraudi whose titfe was Supervisor, investigation Services. Mr..Daly, a non-bargaining unit
employee, worked with Ms. Giraudi as a team member. She gave instructions to the
grievor and Mr. Daly followed up on the information she requested of him concerning the
grievor. Mr. Daly staked that on one occasion he and the grievor had a shouting match
over the movement of the hour hand on a clock which was on the wall in the office. It had
been running fast and Mr. Daly decided to change it to the correct time. After doing so
he turned around and encountered the grievor who had been standing right behind him
and began challenging Mr. Daly's authority to change the time on the clock. Mr. Daly
testified that he was personally frightened because of what was transpiring as the grievor
was "right at my face".
The grievor acknowledged that the clock incident happened. He stated that the
clo~:k had been five or ten minutes fast for months. The employees benefitted from the
clock being fast because they could leave and avoid the rush at the end of the work day.
According to the grievor, Mr. Dal¥ became very authoritative but the grievor put the time
on the clock back to where it had been after Mr. Daly left the area. He denied that there
had been a shouting match but agreed that they probably had raised voices.
9
Another incident stated by Mr. Daly involved a mouse that the grievor had at his
desk in a metal container. The mouse was trying to climb out of the metal container which
understandably alarmed some employees in the area, The grievor explained that while on
an escalator he sew a small mouse and he went to a garbage can where he obtained a
coffee cup. He then got the mouse, put it in the coffee cup, and took ir to his office where
he put it in a Planter*s peanut tin can. The peanut can had a plastic Iid on it. One of the
female employees opened the can and screamed. He explained that he planned to take
it home and make a pet out of it or let it go. According to the grievor, after he had
explained the above to Ms. GiraUdi she seemed satisfied with his explanation and that
ended the matter.
Mr. Daiy testified that the grievor had a desk ne~ to his which was separated by a
partition between the two desks and stood about four or five feet high. On occasion,
when Mr. Daty had a client sitting at his desk he woutd become dircracted by the grievor
leaning on the partition staring down at the two of them which made Mr. Da{y and his
client feel mcst uncomfortable. The gr[evor ~id that he would sometimes look over the
part(tion because b,e considered Mr, Oa(y his fr(end and meant nothing more than that.
Mr. Daly indicated that on the few occasions when he spoke to the grievor about matters
such as have been described above it became apparent to Mr. Daly that the grievor did not
like authority and explained that he had lost his "cool" during the clock incident which
resulted in a shouting match and while being sorry about it stated that feelings had built
up and he just exploded.
Mr. Graham Thurston worked in the same area as the grievor for approximately one
year. According to Mr. Thurston, it was scary coming into work because every day was a
10
new adventurous experience. He stated that the grievor would constantly stare at him at
his desk and on one occasion he and the grievor were talking about a certain case early in
the morning during which the grievor continually raised his voice. At one point during the
Thurston-grievor conversation, Ms. Margaret Smith, a co-worker, interjected asking the
grievor to be more quiet whereupon he iashed out at her and Mr. Thurston had to
accompany Ms. Smith downstairs so she could get her thoughts together. She was
pregnant at the time and was quite emotional. Mr. Thurston stated that he honestly
would not want to work with the grievor again due to the experiences he had
encountered in the past.
Ms. Anna Grajpet was a Counsellor in Commutations in 1988 who worked near the
grievor. In fact, at one point the grievor sat at a desk next to hers. She complained to
management because she felt that the way the grievor carried on telephone conversations
with clients was inappropriate. She complained that if something was not done she would
ask for a transfer elsewhere. She testified as well that when Mr. Pompa tried to deal with
the grievor there would always be a screaming match. It was her opinion that while
Mr. Pompa was not confrontational the grievor's nature was the opposite. She too
testified that she would not want to work with the grievor again.
The Employer intended to call Mr. Pompa but the Union objected to having him
appear as a witness. The Panel ruled that the Employer could call whatever evidence it
planned providing the evidence was relevant to the matter at hand. Counsel caucused
following which it was agreed that if Mr. Pompa had been called to give evidence the
thrust of that evidence would have been that. he dealt with the grievor in the manner that
11
he did because he thought the gdevor was psychologically unwetl. We understand that
Mr. Pompa has since retired.
Ms. Margaret Smith who was employed as a VocationaI Rehabilitation Counsellor
in the Rehabilitation Resources Branch in Commutations also testified. She found the
grievor to be very disruptive causing a very tense environment. One was never sure what
would occur on any given day. It could be a volatile situation involving the grievor yelling
or being disruptive, or indeed it could be a normal day. It was her view that there was
always a lot of yetling going on in the office. Mrs. Smith testified that she was personally
upset and being pregnant with her first child left her active employment in June of 1987.
She recalled that in May or Junewhen she was in her cubicle she overhead the grievor and
Mr. Thurston talking which was indeed a yelling match. (This is the same incident to which
Mr. Thurston testified above but which had an added ingredient which follows shortly.)
She stood up and told him to calm down that there was no reason to talk in the manner
that he was and the grievor lashed out at her saying that it was none of her business.
Mrs. Smith retorted that it was he~ business as he was involving the others in the office and
was disrupting their work. The grievor continued to direct comments to her which so
upset her that she had to leave the office. (As stated earlier, she was accompanied by
Mr. Thurston.)
Mrs. Smith also related an incident that occurred away from work. She stated that
the grievor lived in an area nearwhere she lived and in May or June, 1987 while in her car
at night he pulled up behind her with three others in his car. When she turned left he
followed and started honking his car horn and making gestures at her. He eventually
passed her and cut her off. It was at this point that Mrs. Smith saw another man about the
grievor's age, the grievor, and two younger people in the grievor's car. Mrs. Smith statec..
that she would not want to work with him again and did not think that she had to work
with him as he frightened her. The grievor denied that he had driven his car near her. He
further stated that his was a two-seater ~ar and four people could not get in it. He denied
having been involved at all in what Mrs. Smith revealed above.
The grievor testified that he wants to go back to being employed with the Workers'
Compensation Board. He stated that he has.worked there for more than 12 years and he
likes working with people. It is .his belief that he has a contribution to make in the field
of rehabilitation and has been living in hope during these past years to return. He believes
that this hope is a form of therapy. The position he wants to be placed in is that of
Rehabilitation Counsellor and he would like to be a Field Counsellor or anything else at the
level of Rehabilitation COunsellor. He stated that he needs to return to work and that the
Employer is aware of all of his past and he feels that he needs a chance to be returned as
the Employer is in the field of rehabilitation.
As stated on page 7 of this decision, the grievor returned to active employment on
January 11, 1988 and was assigned to the position of "Controller" in Investigation Services.
In charge of Investigation Services was Mr. David Chrastina, Manager. The grievor'$ return
to active employment was due to a managerial decision that occurred at a meeting on
January 5. The meeting consisted of Mr. Doug Cain, Executive Director, Development
Management Services; Mr. Reg Jones, Acting Director, Administrative Services Branch; and
Mr. David Chrastina, Manager, Investigation Services.
It was decided at this meeting that a temporary position would be created within
the Investigation Services Section to accommodate the grievor until his trial took place
13
which was scheduled for March, 1988. It was also decided that the position would be low
profile, ensuring no interaction with the Board's clients and minimal interaction with Board
employees (Exhibit 5).
Mr. Chrastina testified that the low profiIe and no interaction aspects of the decision
was due to the nature of the charges that had been identified by the media.
Mr. Chrastina did not hide his[lislike at having to accept the grievor in his midst.
He stated that he found the grievor's presence and having to work with him to be
repulsive. It must be pointed out that Mr. Chrastina's supervision of the grievor was
indirect there being other supervisors directly over the grievor who in turn reported to
Mr. Chrastina.
Mr. Chrastina informed the Panel that between january and March the grievor's
presence was Iow key; that he kept to himself, and that there was very little disruption.
After March, however, things changed. The grievor's appearance became irregular. Some
days he would appear fairly well groomed while others he looked like he had slept in a
sewer. His hair would be unkempt, hewoutd be unshaven, and he would have bags under
his eyes.
In July a get-together was planned for a staff member who was leaving. The grievor
acknowledged to Mr. Chrastina that he' did not think his presence at the gathering would
be acceptable to staff and did not attend.
By October, concerns among staff were growing (Exhibit 4, Tab 37) and by
December matters between the grievor and Mr. Chrastina had reached_the boiling point
as far as Mr. Chrastina was concerned. The litmus point centred around what has been
14
referred to as the Christmas luncheon get-together which was held on Friday, December 16.
Apparently it had been an annual event for the staff in Investigation Services to
gather together at a local restaurant, during the holiday season. 1988 was to be no
exception and a notice was put up on December 1st informing staff of the time and place
for the get-together (Exhibit 14). The notice went up on December 1st with a request to
inform Sandra of one's intentions by December 5th if they planned to attend on
December 16. The notice ended with the words,' Everyone is Welcome. See you there."
The grievor indicated his intention to attend. However, Mr. Chrastina decided the grievor
would not be a welcome attendee at the gathering and the grievor was so informed.
Without going into a lot of detail the grievor attended the gathering but the restaurant
was informed that the employer would not be responsible for any indebtedness the grievor
might incur. Other members of staff were treated by the employer. The grievor alleged
discrimination and harassment and it was "resoIved" on December 20 when the employer
offered the grievor $7.50 (Exhibit 42). The grievor refused the $7.50. On December 20
Mr. Chrastina recommended to his superiors that the grievor be placed on a paid leave of
absence (Exhibit 44). His recommendation was adopted as can be seen in paragraph. 7 of
Mr. Chrasti'na's termination letter of June 26, 1989 which has been reproduced near the
beginning of these reasons.
While Mr. Chrastina was on the witness stand it became very obvious through his
comments and demeanour that acceptance of the grievor into Investigation Services was
not his idea. However, he tolerated the grievor's presence because the plan was that it
would be temporary in that it would be over by March. But as we now know that was not
to be the case. Through court delays the grievor's presence continued through ail of 1988
' 15
until December 20 when Mr. Chrastina recommended that the grievor be placed on a paid
leave of absence. It appears to the Panel that My. Chrastina's patience and tolerance of
the grievor's presence in investigation Services ha(i t~uily run its course. Mr. Chrastina has
since transferred to Windsor.
EXPERT TESTIMONY BY PSYCHOLOGIST AND PSYCHIATRIST . -~
Dr. William L. Marshall, Professor, Department of Psychology at Queen's University,
Kingston, Ontario has taught and researched in the area of sexual behaviour for a number
of years. He treats more than 200 patients a yearwho are homopedophiles. He has more
than 80 publications in the field including three or four books. He is considered by both
parties to be an expert in the field. _
Dr. Marshall described pedophilia as a condition which encompasses an enduring
'sex preference for children involving one or both genders. People afflicted with this illness
sometimes begin in early stages in life and while these preferences or urges can be
controlled they cannot be eradicated. Consequently, pedophiles are always a risk to young
people in society but the risk can be lowered through treatment. There are a number of
factors present in these situations. Forcefulness is a factor. A disregard for th~ rights of
others through a lack of feelings is another factor and damage that may be caused to
others is yet another factor. The number of victims is likewise a factor. People with a
proclivity to molest boys are the highest risk. Add to that the taking advantage of
vulnerable boys, particularly in the company of an accomplice, and having a disregard for
the damage that may be caused to their victims is a further factor. There is a high risk to
re-offend by such people. With treatment the risk is reduced.
Dr. Marshall was apprised of the evidence that several co-workers had testified
concerning their resistance to having the grievor return to their place of work. When
Dr. Marshall was asked whether or not it was wise to return the grievor to a hostile work
environment he responded that treatment is critical in such situations. One has to deal
with stress and minimize it as much as possible. Stress is a factor in re-offending or not.
Part of the treatment is to teach the pedophite to handle stress and to get along with
others. Unless this can be clearly demonstrated it would be unwise to return him to a
hostile environment for the grievor's long-term interests. Dr. Marshall was asked to rank
three possible conceptual situations-(1) return the grievor to a hostile environment;
(2) locate him in another work environment where his personal history was unknown; or
(3) continue to be unemployed. When asked to rank the factors, Dr. Marshall replied that
if it is a hostile environment to which the grievor returns as pointed out in (1) he would
rank that as being the lowest priority. Clearly, Dr. Marshall stated that it would be
unfortunate for anyone to be placed in (3) but it would be better than (1). It would seem
that (2) would be the preferred situation but it was not addressed directly by Dr. Marshall.
Dr. Marshall emphasized that peclophilia is a mental illness which is not curable and
the only hope is to cont'rol it. Basically, Dr. Marshall said that it is a matter of teaching
controls and over time through effective treatment his ability to control his urges is much
increased. Dr. Marshall acknowledged that one of the keys to control is participating in
a treatment program followed up by further treatment.
Dr. M.H. Ben-Aron appeared as an expert witness on behalf of the Union. Dr. Ben-
Aron is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto
and carries on a part-time practice at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry as well as a private
practice in forensic psychiatry. Dr. t3en-Aron has an impressive curriculum vitae (Exhibit 9)
and is considered by the parties to be an expert in the field. Dr. Ben-Aron has been
treating the grievor since 1989. He provided defence counsel with his views prior to
sentencing in June, 1989. Dr. Ben-Arczn's letter is dated May 9, 1989 (Exhibit 6) and is
instructive so we include it here:
At your request, I am forwarding this letter about M.B. He is aware of its
contents and that they may be used by you for purposes of assisting the Court
with the matter of sentencing as related to the above mentioned offenses.
M. was originally referred to me by your office for purposes of assessment with
a view to his coming to see me on a regular basis for outpatient psychiatric
treatment.
The psychiatric opinion expressed in this letter is based on my having seen him
in rny office on a regular once a week basis commencing October 17, 1988 and
continuing up to and including May 8, 1989. Each session lasted
approximately one hour. There were a total of 26 sessions, t was also aware
'of some of the background legal issues relating to the current offenses from
information provided to me by you.
Mr. B. has been a willing and cooperative patient. He has attended all of his
appointment~ faithfully and punctually and uses the time well.
Diaqnosticailv it is my opinion that Mr. B. suffers from, 1. homosexual
pedophi]ia; 2. a major depression; and, 3. personality problems of a mixed
type.
With respect to the homosexuai pedophilia, 1 believe that in him this is a life-
long sexual anomaly.
Generally individuals suffering from a core pedophilia have this deviation as
an integral part of their personality make-up and functioning in a way that is
analogous to the heterosexual orientation that most 'normal' people have. At
this point in time despite extensive investigations into the reasons for this
deviation, we do not know what causes it. in managing the care of
homosexual pedophiles, irrespective of our best efforts to eliminate the
deviant preference or to transform the pedophilic urges to sexual desires for
age appropriate partners, we do not as yet have any treatment that will
successfully eradicate this illness. We can only work to help the individual
develop sufficiently strong controls to prevent pedophilic urges from being
behavioural~y acted out. In those individuals with high sexual drives - which
is not the case with Mr. B.'s sex drive as he reports it we can dampen the
intensity of sexual urges,
For his part, Mr. B. has made progress in his sessions with me in coming to
grips with the reality that he suffers from this illness. He acknowledges that
he is afflicted with homosexual pedophitia. He recognizes its wrongfulness
and the need for him to never to sexually act out again.
in his own words, he feels quite ashamed and has on more than one occasion
tearfully lamented that he did 'not ask to have the illness' and since his
recognizing it in himself at a very young age he has more than once wished
that he was dead and that he had the strength to end his own life.
it is my opinion that Mr. B. is sincere in his desire to never act out sexually
again and that he is committed to continuing in treatment with me to achieve
that end. Sustained commitment to treatment is paramount given the
difficulty of the task - controlling a powerful emotion such as sexual
gratification - from becoming behaviourally expressed.
As far as his depression is concerned, Mr. B. is currently moderately too [sicl
severely depressed. At times, this depression reaches suicidal proportions. His
depression has been with him during the entire time that he has been coming
to see me. To a large degree, it is a response to his current legal
involvements. He feels badiy about what has, and, is happening. He is afraid
of what the future holds, He is ashamed of being a homosexual pedophile
and feets the outcast that this makes him. The legal involvements to date have
been extremely punishing to him emotionally. He recognizes that he wilt be
going to jait and he is realistically afraid of being beaten (possibly to 'death')
while in custody as he reports nearly happened to him while he was in
detention after first being arrested. He also faces the shame generated by the
media covering his case a nd the potential Song term ra mifications this will have
to his current job which has been put on hold while he awaits court, arid
which will likely be terminated once he is sentenced. As well, he is uncertain
about what future job prospects he may have if any. He feels that he is
marked as far as any potential future friendships and/or his ability in
developing any kind of social support network for himself are concerned.
~':.These realities understandably have contributed to his feelings of depression
and his pre-court anxiety mounts with the approach of his next court date, the
depression has and is getting worse.
His personality problems act in concert to predispose him to depressive
episodes and to their intensifications, as well, they make him vulnerable to
giving into his pedoph~lic, urges. M.'s personality problems are best
characterise [sic] by deeply seated feelings of insecurity, mistrust of mature
adult relationships, a tendency to respond with defiance and feelings of
rebelliousness towards authority figures or individuals in supervisory roles. The
personality difficulties in him stem from his own early rearing, experiences
which at times were quite brutalizing. As a child and early adolescent, he was
a victim of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. In session after session, he
would report to me how his life was a continuing torment for him during his
childhood years. Understandabty this experience left him distrustful of
interpersonal relationships and with an inability to meet his natural and
appropriate needs for affection and closeness within the context of age
appropriate peer relationships. These inadequacies have over the years
resulted in his failure to achieve any type of meaningful sustained intimate
relationships. In turn his failure to meet his needs for closeness and intimacy
has resulted in his regularly experiencing depressive episodes. At times his
depressions have reached suicidal intensity.
Unfortunately, his unmet affectional needs and his homosexual pedophilic
proclivities have in the past combined to result in pedophilic behaviour. He
19
reports that he is at greatest risk for losing control when he experiences high
levels of stress and/or depression.
M. is an inherently intelligent man who because of the psychological
handicaps outlined above has never achieved the full measure of his innate
capabilities - academically, vocationally, or socially.
He genuinely wants relief from his hurt and emotional turmoil; he does not
want to get into trouble with society; he does not want to be the obiect of
shame, derision and societal scorn. He is currently hurting very much and he
is seeking out treatment to make things better. I believe his commitment to
treatment is sincere and that he will stick with the treatment program he has
commenced with me and that he would continue to come and see me on his
own volition if permitted to do so, even well after any legal obligations
mandate him to come and see him [sic].' For my part, I am certainly willing to
continue and provide him the care that he requests and requires.
To date, his progress although sure, has been very slow; in part, this is because
of the emotional impact on him made by his fear of impending court
proceedings.
At this time, I would predict he will require continuing treatment for a
prolonged period. How Long? - will be able to be determined only once he
has been in treatment after he has met his legal obligations and i can assess
his progress and response to treatment in the absence of court generated
stresses.
The main thrust of treatment will be to help him with his personality problems,
his depressions and to help him consolidate his personality strengths. We will
also work to help him develop an external support network to assist him in
keep.lng any pedophilic urges well under control.
I am mindful of the extremely serious nature of his current offenses and wish
that I were writing you a glowing letter that could reassure you that Mr. B.'s
recovery was imminent. However, Mr. El. suffers from a number of seriously
deeply rooted problems that will require long term supervision and
interventions. The only reassuring thing that I am able to say at this time is
that Mr. B. is genuinely in pain, is genuinely motivated to continue in his
treatment with me, and that over the past several months we have established
a good treatment relationship.
Although, interrupting his treatment might and probably will cause a set back
to some degree in his course, it is my opinion that irrespective of what
happens in court, eventually, he will continue in his treatment with me.
I hope my letter is of some assistance to you and to the court if you use it in
that regards. If there are any questions please do not hesitate to call me,
otherwise I hope this finds you well.
Dr. Ben-Aron testified that the grievor has responded well to therapy. He believes
that the grievor has not acted out since October, 1988 and his depression has been lifted
20
'and stabilized. Dr. Ben-Aron's belief is based on information told to him by the grievor.
So far as the personality issues are concerned, Dr. Ben-Aron stated that they were working
on those issues. When asked as to the prognosis for the grievor Dr. Ben-Aron stated that
what we are dealing with is a chronic difficulty but that he is heartened because the
grievor has not acted out in the past four years which augers well. (Again, we emphasize
that the statement of not acting out is what Dr. Ben-Aron believes as a result of being so
informed by the grievor.)
Dr. Ben-Aron offered his opinion that it is significant that the grievor have a job.
He explained that a job gives one the structure of self-esteem and one becomes less
vulnerable to life's stresses. He stated that as a package the less stress in one's life the
stronger his urges are able to be kept in check. A job gives one a sense of purpose;
structure; future; serf-esteem; and a sense of investing in one's self-worth as a person. As
far as being reinstated at the Workers' Compensation Board, Dr. Ben-Aron said there were
two key issues for the grievor. One, that he not be placed in a position where he would
have to face a lot of temptation. As an example, he said, "one ought not to put a man
who was on a diet in a past.ry shop." Or, in the grievor's case, do not put him in a job
where there are many boys which would be unfair to him. Two, the environment is
important. The grievor needs a posting in which he is treated fairly and objectively by his
supervisors. That is to say when the grievor does a good job he should be complimented
but on the other hand when he does not do a good job he should be spoken to. That is
to say it is key that he be under the supervision of fair and objective supervisors.
Counsel for the Union informed Dr. BemAron that the Panel has the authority to
reinstate the grievor and to include conditions surrounding any reinstatement. When
21
asked if he would be willing to continue to treat the grievor on a continuing ba'sis, Dr. Ben-
Aron replied that it should be clear that he was going to continue working with the grievor
whether the Panel issued a reinstatement order or not. Further, Dr. Ben-Aron said he
would be willing to provide the Employer with feedback if given permission to do so by
the grievor.
When asked for his opinion concerning some of the grievor's activities at work that
have been described above by his co-workers, Dr. Ben-Aron stated this demonstrated some
consistency with his personality; that is, a defiance or rebelliousness. He acknowledged
that a homosexual pedophile is one of the most difficult patients to treat. They suffer a
deeply-entrenched drive which is very sustained and are the highest risk to re-offend.
One of the thrusts of the Employer throughout this matter to this point has been
that the grievor resents authority exhibited by his supervisors and co-workers. During the
giving of his evidence, Dr. BemAron commented about the treatment visits and therapy
being given to the grievor and the presence of probation officers. The probation officers
were seeking information from Dr. 13en-Aron about the gfievor's progress and continually
insisting that the grievor regularly attend therapy sessions. According to Dr. Ben-Aron, the
probation 'officers withdrew tl~eir intervention when it became apparent that their
presence was having an adverse effect on the grievor's treatment. While they continued
to insist that he attend and participate in therapyt~e would attend at Dr. Ben-Aron's office
and simply sit there. Once.the probation officers removed their presence the grievor
willingly participated in his treatment and therapy.
22
EVIDENTIARY MA"I-rER
The Employer was the first to call evidence in this matter. Mr. David Chrastina
began his evidence-in-chief on October 23, 1991. While in the course of giving evidence,
the Panel was informed at the commencement of proceedings on August 5, 1992 that
Mr. Chrastina would step down in order that expert witnesses on behalf of both parties
could appear and testify. Accordingly, August 5, 1992 was devoted to hearing evidence
from Dr. Marshall. August 11, 1992 was devoted to hearing evidence from Dr. Ben-Aron.
Dr. Ben-Aron undertook to provide the Panel with dates on which the grievor attended
at his office. By letter dated August 18, 1992 (Exhibit 10) the doctor provided that
information which reads:
RE: M.8.
The following are the dates at which times I met with Mr. B. Each session was
approximately one hour in duration:
1988 1991
October 17, 24 January 17
November 7, 14, 21, 28 February 14
December 5, 19 March 7, t9
April 29
1989 May 21
January 9, 24 September 4, 26
February 1, 8, 15, 20, 27 October 3, 10, 15, 22, 29
March 6, 13, 21, 27 ' November 19, 28
April 4, 10, 17, 24, 26 December 18
May 1, 3, 8, 11, 16
June 6, 12 1992
January 8
1990 February 5
January 4, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26 March 4
February 5, 8, 16, 20, 22 April 1, 22
March 5 May 21
May 4, ~17 June 30
June 7, 19 July 29
July 5, 19, 30 August 12
September 10, 24
December 25
Total number of appointments: 78.
23
On January 4, 1994 the grievor took the witness stand and began giving evidence-
in-chief. At the conclusion of that day (January 4, 1994) Counsel for the Employer
requested that the Union provide a list of dates when the grievor visited Dr. Ben-Aron
since August 12, 1992 which was the last date on the list that was provided by Dr. Ben-
Aron in Exhibit 10. Counsel for the Employer made it crystal clear that what he wanted
were the list of dates only and no more. The Union undertook to provide such
information.
Upon reconvening on January 12, 1994 the Union produced a letter that it received
from Dr. Ben-Aron. Dr. Ben-Aron stated that the grievor attended at his office on
September 15, lg92, October 5, 1993, December 22, 1993, and January 11, 1994. This
was the precise information the Employer sought. However, Dr. Ben-Aron's letter
continued with explanatory comments which the Employer objected to being received.
It was the position of the Employer that any editorial comments made by Dr. Ben-Aron
were for the purpose of embellishing the record and it was obvious that Counsel for the
Union had requested more than the dates that had been asked for. Counsel for the Union
conceded that such was the case. He stated that he decided that the time [apse between
September 15, 1992 and October 5, 1993 could not be submitted without some
explanation for its duration. Counsel for the Employer countered that the number of visits
to the doctor's office was sufficient and "speaks for itself". Counsel for the Employer
continued to say that if the Panel accepted the remainder of Dr. Ben-Aron's letter, he
wanted to have the right to bring the doctor before the Pa~e] with the right to cross-
examine him on its contents.
24
After caucusing, the Panel ruled that it would allow Dr. Ben-Aron's letter in but that
it would grant the Employer the opportunity to cross-e×amine Dr. Ben-Aron if it so chose.
[n the event that the Employer wished to question Dr. Ben-Aron it was to give notice to
the Union and have the Union notify Dr. Ben-Aron to appear in order that he could be
subjected to cross-examination by the Employer.
Dr. Ben-Aron's letter of January 11, 1994 reads as follows (Exhibit 17):
Re: B.M.~.
In response to your specific request for information regard [sic] Mr. B.'s
continued treatment with me, f am writing to confirm, since my letter to you
of August 18, 1992, Mr. B. has attended my office on September 15, 1992,
October 5, 1993, December 22, 1992 and January 11, 1994.
I should add that over that time interval, he has telephoned my office on a
number of occasions but no records were kept of these calls and I cannot give
their dates.
Mr. B. has attended appointments in keeping with his need at a frequency in
compliance with our mutual agreement. To the best of my knowledge, he has
been stable and functioning satisfactorily. He has lived at the same residence
throughout that time period (since August 1991). He has structured his time
by volunteering on a regular basis with the Christian Community Centre and
more recently, for the last three months, with Stop 103 - Food Bank, He
spends his time in this manner awaiting resolution of his work grievance
appeal.
To the best of my knowledge, there has been absolutely no further
involvements with young boys or any hint of such attempts. I am extremely
pleased with this sustained control which has now lasted over 6 years (since
November ~ 98?).
I continue to be available to see M. on an as needed basis. I believe we have
a very good rapport and that he will not hesitate to turn to me for assistance
with any difficulties or temptations tha~ might arise.
I hope the above answers any questions.
At the commencement of the hearing on June 23, 1994 the Union informed the
Panel that it had Dr. Ben-Aron present and wished to recall him to have him explain the
grievor's attendance (or lack thereof) at his office. The parties made a number of
25
submissions to the Panel. The Union made several submissions in support of why the Panel
ought to allow the Union to recall the doctor whereas the Employer argued strenuously
that he ought not be recalled. The parties agreed that what was being attempted here
was not the calling of reply evidence but it was the Union's position that because of the
unusual manner in which the evidence was called concerning the expert witnesses that it
ought to be given the opportunity to recall Dr. Ben-Aron to explain the contents of his
letter. The unusual manner referred to relates to the calling of the experts after one
another instead of hearing the Employer's expert and then waiting until the Union called
its evidence before hearing Dr. Ben-Aron.
The Panel reminded the Union of its ruling on January 12, 1994 when it allowed in
Dr. Ben-Aron's letter (Exhibit 17)over the objection of the Employer. But in so doing, the
Panel agreed to the Employer's request that should it wish to cross-examine Dr. Ben-Aron
on the contents of his letter then it would to be allowed to do so. Counsel for the
Employer informed the Panel that it did not intend to cross-examine Dr. Ben-Aron on the
contents of his January 11, 1994 letter.
The Panel asked Counsel of the Union to explain his purpose in recalling Dr. Ben-
Aron and in particular what he expected Dr. Ben-Aron could add to the contents of his
letter which would further assist the Panel in arriving at a decision. While counsel replied
that the doctor would so inform the Panel, the Panel insisted that counsel, who was
wishing to recall the doctor, inform the Panel what it was he anticipated the doctor would
say which would further enlighten the Panel in its deliberations. When counsel did not
provide any information as to the reasons he wished to recall the doctor, it was ruled that
the objection of the Employer would be upheld. The contents of the ruling read as
follows:
Upon reviewing our notes of January 12, 1994 - the submissions made on
behalf of the employer concerning our ruling of January 12 appears to be
correct. The ruling was more circumscribed than the union suggests,
Therefore, in keeping with our original ruling and the submissions made today
we uphold the employer's objection.
Counsel for the Union then requested that the above ruling be included in the award
pointing out that it was the Union who had wished to recall Dr. Ben-Aron and was
prohibited in doing so.
SUBMISSIONS ON BEHALF OF THE EMPLOYER
.The Employer submitted that it had just cause to discharge the grievor. It relied on
Re Dorr-Ofiver-Long Ltd. and United Steelworkers, Local4697 (1973)3 L.A.C. (2d) 198
(O'Shea). Arbitrator O'Shea referred to an earlier decision of Re Millhaven Fibres Ltd.,
Millhaven Works, and Oil, Chemical and Automatic Workers Int'l. Union, Local 9-6790
(1967) which had set out five factors that were to be considered when an employee is
discharged for conduct away from the work place. We were referred to a number of other
decisions but it was pointed out that the Millhaven case is the seminal case. Counsel
pointed out to the Panel that later cases indicate that not all five factors are required but
merely one of them. The factors set out in the Millhaven case are:
There are a number of arbitration cases which deal with disciplinary
matters arising'out of the conduct of an employee at a time when he is not in
the Plant. Generally speaking, it is clear that the right of management to
discharge an employee for conduct away from the Plant, depends on the effect
of that conduct on Plant operations.
In other words, if the discharge is to be sustained on the basis of a
iustifiable reason arising out of conduct away from the place of work, there is
an onus on the Company to show that:-
(1) the conduct of the grievor harms the Company's reputation or
product
(2) the grievor's behaviour renders the employee unable to perform his
duties satisfactorily
(3) the grievor's behaviour leads to refusal, reluctance or inability of the
other emptoyees to work with him
(4) the grievor has been guilty of a serious breach of the Criminal Code
and thus rendering his conduct injurious to the general reputation of
the Company and its employees
(5) places difficulty in the way of the Company properly carrying out its
function of efficiently managing its Works and efficiently directing its
working forces.
The Panel was taken through the five factors and the Employer maintains that it has met
all of them.
It was urged upon the Panel to recognize that the Employer is not a rehabilitation
centre nor an agency to treat the grievor. The position in which the grievor finds himself
is due entirely to his own choosing. His fellow workers do not want-him back; he will not
accept authority; and is an obstructionist in the work place. Further, even if the Panel were
to put him back with conditions there is no guarantee that those conditions ca~ be put in
force over an indefinite period of time. The Employer says that it has had enough. It does
not want the grievor back in its employment and seeks to have the dismissal upheld.
UNION SUBMISSIONS
Counsel for the Union does not dispute the fact that the Dorr-O#vercase sets out
the tests, But even within Dorr-Oliver the facts must determine each individual case.
Counsel referred the Panel to a number of cases that demonstrate where an individual is
convicted on sex offenses it does not necessarily follow that dismissal constitutes just cause.
In Re Corporation of the City of Calgary and Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 583 (1981 )
28
4 L.A.C. (3d) 50 (Beattie) involved a bus driver. He was convicted of sexually assaulting a
14-year-old female who baby-sat for him. The offence occurred while he was off duty but
he was discharged. The Board held that the grievor gave the Employer cause for discipline
but that a suspension of six months was more appropriate than discharge. The Union
referred the Panel to Re Emergency Health Services Commission and Canadian Union of
Public Employees, Local 873 (1988) 35 LA.C. (3d) 400 (Black) for the proposition that
Employer claims of adverse impact on public reputation must be carefully assessed. It also
submitted that in cases of off-duty conduct the matter does not end with the tests set out
in the Mi#haven Fibres case since mitigating factors can still be argued and considered.
The Union submitted that discharge was too severe a penalty in these circumstances
and urged the Panel to order the grievor's reinstatement with whatever conditions the
Panel seems to be just and reasonable in the circumstances.
CONSIDERATIONS
Given that this case involves the termination of a convicted pedophile, the issues are
necessarily complex. However, the proceedings were unusually protracted and difficult,
even allowing for that feature.' The numerous procedural and evidentiary rulings that the
Panel was required to make as a result observed the sensitive nature of the issues and they
balanced the need to protect the grievor's identity and privacy with the Employer's right
to make a "full" case.
Because we were dealing with a convicted homosexual pedophile, the forensic
psychiatric evidence played an important rote in understanding the characteristics of the
disorder - both in general and as expressed in the individual personality of the grievor.
29
Adding to the cogency of the psychiatric evidence is the professional stature of the
witnesses (ie.,.two of this country's leading e×perts in deviant sexual behaviour)~ Two
features of the disorder in particular stand out: the fact that of all deviant se×ual
preferences, homosexual Pedophitia is apparently the most difficult to treat; and the fact
that there is no cure. Rather, the illness must be carefully monitored and controlled.
Dr. Marshall prefers to treat patients in groups whereas Dr. Ben-Aron's approach is to see
patients on a one-to-one basis. For our purposes, it is tess important whether
Dr. Marshall's group approach is more effective than Dr. Ben-Aron's one-on-one approach,
in view of the second feature; that is, what matters is whether the grievor has had and will
continue to have regular monitoring and treatment so that he will not act out in the
future. In this regard, the "gap" in his visits to Dr. Ben-Aron is disturbing and, in our view,
was not adequately explained by the grievor. WhiLe the "gap" does not alter the direction
of the decision in this case, it nevertheless will enter into the issue of remedy. Should
reinstatement be ordered it ought, inter alia, to be conditional upon the continued
monitoring of the grievor by Dr. Ben-Aron who has indicated his willingness to do so.
Returning to the differences between the two experts in terms of clinical approach
to treatment, the divergence of medical opinion is most easily resolved by remembering
that Dr. Ben-Aron has been directly involved in treating the grievor, whereas Dr. Marshall
has not. Thus, the Panel need not endorse one approach over the other. The testimony
of the treating physician should as a matter of course be given more weight than that o~
the e×pert who is Clescribing a class of persons - unless the treating physician is clearly
biased in favour of the patient. We do not see that present here. Wh'tle Dr. Ben-Aron is
no doubt anxious to help the grievor regain his job, the picture of the grievor's personality
30
that emerged from his testimony appeared fair and comprehensive..He knows that the
grievor has difficulty with authority and that he has some deeply-entrenched personality
characteristics that are in some respects inimical to a normal empfoyment relationship.
And yet, Dr. Ben-Aron remains sanguine about the grievor's ability to control his illness and
his ability to be reintegrated at work, albeit in a non-field position.
The rebelliousness that Dr. Ben-Aron referred to as a component of the grievor's
personality was readily apparent; during the grievor's cross-examination. He was
consistently argumentative and defensive. In other words, we know both from his
psychiatrist and from observing th~ grievor that he has certain personality ~:haracteristics
which will make it difficult for him to get along with supervisors, in particular, and also co-
workers. The challenge for the parties should he be reinstated will be to find or create a
position that takes such factors into account. The challenge for the grievor wilt be to
suppress these characteristics so that he can maintain employment.
We think it is unrealistic to expect complete self-awareness on the grievor's part (ie.,
to expect him to acknowledge that all his problems with co-workers and supervisors in the
past were his fault), because he has an abrasive or anti-social personality. He
acknowledges that he is a homosexual pedophile. Can we expect any greater degree of
insight than that? The degree of Personal insight is not relevant to the issue of whether ,
there was just cause for discharge. Again, it becomes relevant only in terms of fashioning
the appropriate remedy if there was not just cause.
That said, we believe that the problems with co-workers were in fact largely the
grievor's fault. The incidents described by bargaining unit employees occurred for the
most part before the grievor was charged. We are inclined to accept their versions of
3~
events over his where there is a conflict in testimony. Anyone with the grievor's
personality matrix presents obvious problems in terms of reliability of evidence. For
instance, we believe that the incident with Mrs. Smith in her car happened as she described
it. The grievor's total denial of the incident is very troubling but, of course, all these
incidents as described by fellow employees went undisciplined.
The evidence with respect to supervisors is more mixed. We think that
· .Mr. Chrastina was determined to make the griev, or feel isolated, a social and moral leper.
Mr. Chrastina's hostility to the grievor was palpable in the hearing room. The failure of
that supervisory relationship must be laid as much at Mr. Chrastina's door as it the
grievor's.
The relationship with Mr. Pompa appears not to have been quite as acrimonious but
nevertheless was rocky. We know that Mr. Pompa adopted a non-disciplinary approach
because he felt that the grievor was ill. And, of course, therein lies an error on the
Employer's part - it's failure to follow progressive discipline in dealing with the grievor.
We did not hear from any of the supervisors whom the grievor says he got along
welt with such as Rita Giraudi, Lenore Lecky, or Len Brown, nor from any bargaining unit
employees who, according to the grievor today "wish him well"
Summing up the evidence from the work place, what we see is a history of erratic,
difficult, and often aggressive behaviour on the part of the grievor towards clients, co-
workers, and supervisors. This conduct seems to have escalated around the period leading
up to the grievor's arrest on criminal charges. In the period thereafter, the conflicts were
largely confined to one supervisor,' Mr. Chrastina (the grievor had been removed from all
32
contact with clients and had minimal interaction with co-workers). In our view,
Mr. Chrastina was equally responsible for those conflicts.
In our view, the Employer made an error when it failed to follow progressive
discipline. We are inclined to agree with the Union when it says that nothing relieves the
Employer of the obligation to follOw a corrective course, particularly where the grievor's
general unto-operativeness was so extensive and wh~ere it persisted over a number of
years. The Employer tried to excuse this failure by arguing that Mr. Pompa adopted a non-
disciplinary approach because he believed he was dealing with a "sick" individual. That
simply is not good enough. If Mr. Pompa did believe that then the Employer should have
instigated some medical investigations or sought assurances from the grievor's doctors.
The grievor was discharged in part for a "pattern of disruptive behaviour" in the
work place. Yet there is nothing on the disciplinary record between the one-day
suspension and the discharge. The Employer cannot have it both ways. It cannot sit on
its hands and allow the disruptive behaviour to slide treating it as non-culpable then
suddenly decide the behaviour is culpable and use it to support discharge.
The most compelling mitigating factor is the failure to follow progressive discipline.
However, economic hardship is also significant. Given the nature of his criminal conviction,
the grievor will presumably be unemployable if the discharge is upheld.
At the end of the,day, we are left with the impression that the grievor was
discharged mostly for his crimes. The conviction was not simply the trigger as argued by
the Employer but was the very heart of the decision. The Employer, of course, relies on the
moral reprehensibi[ity of those crimes and the general repugnance with which they are
regarded in arguing that the grievor should not be reinstated (ie., employees would be
33 ,
reluctant to work with him). No one denies the repugnancy of the gdevor's crimes. But
the nexus with the employment relationship is slim, in our view, provided the grievor is not
returned to a field position where the possibility of contact with children or clients might
arise. As for resistance on the part of fellow employees, that should not be the decisive
factor if other factors weigh in favour of reinstatement. Also, the problem can be
addressed through a transfer to a different location or to a different position. Finally, the
evidence of Frank Mucie, Union President, was that as far as he knew there was no such
resistance on the part of employees to the grievor's return, at any rate, no one had
complained to him about that. This is a large Employer after all. It may not be possible to
find a place within the organization where no one has heard of the grievor but surely it
will be possible to find a place, where he is working with new people, both co-workers and
supervisors. (It should be pointed out that both Mr. Chrastina and Mr. Pompa have
departed.)
On the issue of public reputation, we think the Employer's claims are exaggerated
despite the initial publicity that the case attracted. The Union's point about the Employer
being a monopoly is a good one. The fear of loss of clientele, is non-existent because
competition is non-existent. As for damage to its general reputation, the Employer led no
evidence to that effect.
On the issue of seniority and its implications in the event of reinstatement, the
Employer claims that it will be impossible to "confine" the grievor because he can exercise
his seniority rights to transfer to other more risky positions once reinstated. The answer
to that argument is that parties commonly fashion all kinds of conditions and restrictions
in executing reinstatement agreements. Provided the Union and the grievor agree, there
34
is no obstacle in the collective agreement that would threaten to undo whatever
arrangement the parties and the grievor choose to make.
DECISION
While the Panel. shares the feelings of society of the general repugnance of the
grievor's crimes we must remember that our role is not one of a court's original jurisdiction
to punish individuals who commit crimes against society. Rather, the Panel must keep its
eye focussed on the role with which Jt was mandated. That is, to review the Employer's
action and determine whether it had just cause to discharge the grievor for unacceptable
work performance and/or unacceptable behaviour. In carrying out that review, the Panel
begins, because of the circumstances of this case, with reviewing the interactions between
the Employer and the grievor in the work place. We know that the Employer regarded the
grJevor's behaviour and work performance as being below an acceptable standard. This
was made clear by the one-day suspension that was handed out by Mr. Pompa in July,
lg87. While the evidence is clear that the grievor's behaviour and work performance did
not imp'rove no further discipline was meted out. While one may sympathize with the
position the Employer took one cannot dismiss the fact that in today's employer-employee
relations there is an established approach to dealing with such matters. The Panel has
pointed out t-hat such an approach which has been widely adopted in labour relations
circles is that of progressive discipline. When an employee fails to meet an acceptable
standard established by the Employer, assuming that standard is reasonable in all of the
circumstances; it is incumbent upon the Employer to bring to the attention of the
35
employee that his/her work performance and/or behaviour must improve to that
acceptable standard. Sl~uld the employee fail to improve the Employer then must bring
to the attention of the employee through progressive forms of discipline that the
performance and/or behaviour remains below an acceptable standard which must be
improved. As we know, progressive discipline assumes more severe forms of discipline as
time goes on which is i~tended to bring home to the employee his/her continued ~aiture
to improve to the acceptable standard. This was not done in the instant situation.
Accordingly, from a strict employer-employee relations point of view, the Employer failed
to carry out any form of progressive discipline. As stated earlier, this was an error on the
part of the Employer who now attempts to demonstrate that it had just cause for
terminating the services of the grievor. While we can understand the Employer's
explanation as to why it, decided not to impose progressive discipline its decision fails to
hit the mark. That is to say, without bringing home to the grievor that his work
performance and/or behaviour was unacceptable it is understandable if he failed to
comprehend the Employer's dissatisfaction with him as an employee.
The Panel appredates the difficulties the Employer was encountering in its dealings
with the grievor. We know from the psychiatric evidence that people afflicted with the
grievor's illness have.certain known attributes. We accept that pedophiles generally have
a tendency to seek attention. This may explain the mouse situation and the clock incident
as well as the staring b/the grievor over partitions which made matters uncomfortable for
others in the work place. The Panel further learned that a pedophile may be manipulative
and this is especially so in manipulating young boys who are vulnerable. Indeed, the Panel
believes that the grievor may well have attempted to manipulate it through the course of
36
these proceedings. In this regard, we specifically refer to the "gap" in the grievor's
attendance at Dr. Ben-Aron's office. Dr. Ben-Aron appeared before this tribunal on
August 11, 1992 and the evidence reveals that the grievor was a regular attendee at his
office up until that time. He attended once more a month later and then a gap of 13
months passed before he again attended at Dr. Ben-Aron's office. It is not difficult to
speculate that the grievor is not committed to receiving psychiatric treatment but only did
so t'o demonstrate to the tribunal that he was in fact committed. Once having apparently
satisfied the tribunal of this fact he then demonstrated that he was not committed to
treatment after all.
There is also another matter which has been puzzling to the Panel. It will be
remembered that the Panel directed the parties into mediation during which time the '
Employer placed an offer on the table which was refused. Why he did not accept it has
remained a puzzte for this Panel. This is especially so in light of the fact that the offer was
made approximately three years ago in October, 1991. However, not knowing the terms
of the offer this matter can have no effect on the final outcome-of this decision,
In considering this matter strictly from a labour relations point of view, the Panel has
concluded that the Employer has failed to establish that it had just cause to terminate the
services of the grievor. On the other hand, the Panel finds that the grievor was not
blameless in what has transpired. He has demonstrated that he is a manipulative individual
who resents authority and who, because of his personality, finds it extremely difficult to
get along with his co-workers.
In light of alt of the foregoing it is this Panel's decision that the grievor must be
reinstated in his employment but with certain conditions. The Employer must not consider
37
that its hands are tied behind its back because of the grievor's illness. We alt know that
he does have an ii,ness but we further realize that he must endea¥our as best he can to
control himself in a manner that permits him to interact with his co-workers and his
supervisors and demonstrate that he is a productive employee. The Employer must be free
to assign the grievor to work situations with which it feels comfortable. The grievor, on
the other hand, must accept these assignments and perform to the best of his ability in
order that he may demonstrate to the Employer that he is willing to accept his duties in
a responsible manner and be a productive employee.
Accordingly, the Panet orders that the grievor be reinstated on the following
conditions:
(1) He is to receive no compensation nor accrual of seniority from the
date his services were terminated on June'26, 1989 to the date of
reinstatement.
(2) The Employer is to be free to assign the grievor to positions that it
considers to be in keeping with its requirements but this does not
include rehabilitation assignments in the field that the grievor had
been performing between 1979 and 1985.
(3) The grievor is required to undergo psychiatric treatment on a regular
basis with a psychiatrist, preferably Dr. Ben-Aron, and must give
authorization to the psychiatrist to keep the .Employer fully apprised
of his treatment, his regularity of attending at the psychiatrist's
offices, and any other reasonable information that the Employer may
require from time to time.
38
(4) The Union and the grievor must enter into a written agreement with
the Employer that the Union and the grieyor accept these conditions
as a condition of reinstatement. If either of them do not agree to
entering into such an agreement with the Employer then it will be
apparent that the grievor is not desirous of changing his ways in the
work place and the Employer will therefore not be required to
reinstate the gdevor but that the termination will stand.
(5) Providing the above conditions have been met, the Employer must be
afforded a reasonable period to make arrangements with the Union
and the grievor for the grievor's return to active employment. The
Panel considers a reasonable period to be no more than 15 working
days following the date of this decision at which time the grievor's
reinstatement to active employment sha[t be deemed to occur.
CONCLUSION
The failure to foflow progressive discipline was so fundamental that it overshadows
ali else in this case including whatever elements of the Mi#haven Fibres tests may have
been met. Thus, the discharge was without just cause. Reinstatement is warranted
because the grievor deserves an opportunity to demonstrate that he can be a productive
and co-operative employee. However, his conduct has hardly been blameless and to award
compensation as requested seems punitive to the Employer.
Hopefully the Employer wilt make an honest and bona fide attempt to reintegrate
the grievor and ensure that he does not face a hostile work environment. The caution to
the grievor might be that he should do his part to ensure that such an environment does
not develop again.
The Panel will remain seized to assi~ the parties in the implementation of.this
decision should it become necessary.
Dated at Kingston, Ontario, this t~ch. day of January ,1995.
C. Gordon Simmons
Vice-Chairp, erson
Jean Claude Laniel
Member
Harry Roberts
Member