HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-2095.Union Grievance.04-02-24 Decision
Crown Employees Commission de ~~
Grievance Settlement reglement des griefs
Board des employes de la
Couronne
~-,...
Suite 600 Bureau 600 Ontario
180 Dundas Sl. West 180 rue Dundas Ouest
Toronto Ontario M5G 1Z8 Toronto (Ontario) M5G 1Z8
Tel. (416) 326-1388 Tel. (416) 326-1388
Fax (416) 326-1396 Telec. (416) 326-1396
GSB# 2002-2095
UNION# 2002-0999-0028
IN THE MATTER OF AN ARBITRATION
Under
THE CROWN EMPLOYEES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ACT
Before
THE GRIEVANCE SETTLEMENT BOARD
BETWEEN
Ontano PublIc ServIce Employees Umon
(Umon Gnevance) Grievor
- and -
The Crown III RIght of Ontano
(Mimstry ofCommumty Safety and CorrectIOnal ServIces) Employer
BEFORE FelIcIty D Bnggs Vice-Chair
FOR THE UNION Scott Andrews
Gnevance Officer
Ontano PublIc ServIce Employees Umon
FOR THE EMPLOYER Greg GledhIll
StraffRelatIOns Officer
Mimstry of Commumty Safety and
CorrectIOnal ServIces
HEARING November 5 2003
2
DeCISIon
In September of 1996 the Mimstry of CorrectIOnal ServIces notIfied the Umon and employees at
a number of provIncIal correctIOnal InstItutIOns that theIr facIlItIes would be closed and/or
restructured over the next few years On June 6 2000 and June 29 2000 the Umon filed polIcy
and IndIVIdual gnevances that alleged vanous breaches of the collectIve agreement IncludIng
artIcle 6 and artIcle 31 15 as well as gnevances relatIng to the fillIng of correctIOnal officer
posItIOns In response to these gnevances the partIes entered Into dIscussIOns and ultImately
agreed upon two Memoranda of Settlement concermng the applIcatIOn of the collectIve
agreement dunng the "first phase of the Mimstry's transItIOn" One memorandum, dated May 3
2000 (hereInafter referred to as "MERC I" (Mimstry Employment RelatIOns CommIttee))
outlIned condItIOns for the correctIOnal officers whIle the second, dated July 19 2001
(hereInafter referred to as "MERC 2") provIded for the non-correctIOnal officer staff Both
agreements were subject to ratIficatIOn by respectIve pnncIples and settled all of the gnevances
IdentIfied In the related MERC appendIces, filed up to that pOInt In tIme
WhIle It was agreed In each case that the settlements were "wIthout prejUdICe or precedent to
posItIOns eIther the umon or the employer may take on the same Issues In future dIscussIOns" the
partIes recogmzed that dIsputes mIght anse regardIng the ImplementatIOn of the memoranda.
AccordIngly they agreed, at Part G paragraph 8
The partIes agree that they wIll request that FelIcIty Bnggs, Vice Chair of the Gnevance
Settlement Board wIll be seIzed wIth resolvIng any dIsputes that anse from the
ImplementatIOn of thIS agreement.
It IS thIS agreement that provIdes me wIth the jUnSdIctIOn to resolve the outstandIng matters
Both MERC 1 and MERC 2 are lengthy and comprehenSIve documents that provIde for the
IdentIficatIOn of vacanCIes and posItIOns and the procedure for fillIng those posItIOns as they
become avaIlable throughout vanous phases of the restructunng. GIven the complexIty and SIze
of the task of restructunng and decommIssIOmng of InstItutIOns, It IS not surpnSIng that a number
of gnevances and dIsputes arose ThIS IS another of the dIsputes that have ansen under the
MERC Memorandum of Settlement.
3
When I was ImtIally InvIted to hear theses transItIOn dIsputes, the partIes agreed that the process
to be followed for the determInatIOn of these matters would be vIrtually IdentIcal to that found In
ArtIcle 22 16.2 whIch states
The mediator/arbItrator shall endeavour to assIst the partIes to settle the gnevance by
medIatIOn. If the partIes are unable to settle the gnevance by medIatIOn, the
medIator/arbItrator shall determIne the gnevance by arbItratIOn. When determInIng the
gnevance by arbItratIOn, the medIator/arbItrator may lImIt the nature and extent of the
eVIdence and may Impose such condItIOns as he or she consIders appropnate The
medIator/arbItrator shall gIve a SUCCInct decIsIOn wIthIn five (5) days after completIng
proceedIngs, unless the partIes agree otherwIse
The MERC ImplementatIOn CommIttee has dealt wIth numerous gnevances and complaInts pnor
to the medIatIOn/arbItratIOn process There have been many other gnevances and Issues raised
before me that I have eIther assIsted the partIes to resolve or arbItrated. However there are stIll a
large number that have yet to be dealt wIth. It IS because of the vast numbers of gnevances that I
have decIded, In accordance wIth my JunsdIctIOn to so determIne that gnevances are to be
presented by way of each party presentIng a statement of the facts wIth accompanYIng
submIssIOns NotwIthstandIng that some gnevors mIght wIsh to attend and provIde oral eVIdence,
to date, thIS process has been efficIent and has allowed the partIes to remaIn relatIvely current
wIth dIsputes that anse from the contInuIng transItIOn process
Not surpnsIngly In a few Instances there has been some confusIOn about certaIn facts or sImply
InSUfficIent detaIl has been provIded. On those occaSIOns I have dIrected the partIes to speak
agaIn wIth theIr pnncIples to ascertaIn the facts or the ratIOnale behInd the partIcular outstandIng
matter In each case thIS has been done to my satIsfactIOn.
It IS essentIal In thIS process to aVOId accumulatIng a backlog of dIsputes The task of resolvIng
these Issues In a tImely fashIOn was, from the outset, a formIdable one With ongOIng changes In
Mimstenal boundanes and other orgamzatIOnal alteratIOns, the task has lately become larger not
smaller It IS for these reasons that the process I have outlIned IS appropnate In these
CIrcumstances
The Issue In thIS dIspute anses because the partIes could not resolve the appropnate locatIOn
from whIch the gnevors' nghts flow for the purposes of rollover The gnevor Cathy Roman,
4
was an unclassIfied CorrectIOnal Officer at the Toronto West DetentIOn Centre The Toronto JaIl
posted and dIstnbuted a notIce regardIng temporary opportumtIes for CorrectIOnal Officers Ms
Roman accepted one of the temporary opportumtIes at the Toronto JaIl She receIved an expense
stIpend In thIS regard.
The elIgIbIlIty date for the rollover of unclassIfied staff was November 10 2002 At that pOInt
Ms Roman was reCeIVIng the expense stIpend and she contInued to receIve those momes untIl
February of 2003 However her unclassIfied contract on November 10 2003 was wIth the
Toronto JaIl
The partIes have asked me to determIne Ms Roman's work locatIOn as of November 10 2002
In my VIew whether the gnevor receIved a travel stIpend as of November 10 2002 IS not
relevant to the Issue at hand. Ms Roman was workIng at the Toronto JaIl and was under contract
as of November 10 2002 Therefore, her work locatIOn for the purpose of determInIng her
employment locatIOn under the June 16 2003 agreement was the Toronto JaIl
Dated In Toronto thIS 24th day of February 2004