HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-1981.Self.04-03-22 Decision
Crown Employees Commission de ~~
Grievance Settlement reglement des griefs
Board des employes de la
Couronne
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GSB# 2003-1981
UNION# 2003-0234-0313
IN THE MATTER OF AN ARBITRATION
Under
THE CROWN EMPLOYEES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ACT
Before
THE GRIEVANCE SETTLEMENT BOARD
BETWEEN
Ontano PublIc ServIce Employees Umon
(Self) Grievor
- and -
The Crown In 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
Staff RelatIOns Officer
Mimstry of Commumty Safety and
CorrectIOnal ServIces
HEARING March 16 2004
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 1" (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 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 transItIOn commIttee has dealt wIth dozens of 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 the 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
Judy Self IS a RehabIlItatIOn Officer who worked at the Guelph CorrectIOnal Cenrtre She was to
be moved to Vamer Centre for Women but due to operatIOnal reqUIrements she was Instead
4
temporanly assIgned to work at Maplehurst CorrectIOnal Complex. She filed a gnevance that
stated
I gneve that my job postIng to Maplehurst CC has been a de facto temporary assIgnment
dunng the tIme penod from June 10 2002 untIl February 21 2003
By way of remedy she requested travel tIme and mIleage for the full penod.
The gnevance IS upheld. AccordIng to the eVIdence before me, the gnevor's assIgnment to
Maplehurst IS temporary and therefore IS precIsely the sItuatIOn contemplated by ArtIcle 13 and
14 of the collectIve agreement.