HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-3774.Union Grievance.04-03-11 Decision
Crown Employees Commission de ~~
Grievance Settlement reglement des griefs
Board des employes de la
Couronne
~-,...
Suite 600 Bureau 600 Ontario
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Fax (416) 326-1396 Telec. (416) 326-1396
GSB# 2003-3774
UNION# 2004-0999-0002
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 In RIght of Ontano
(Mimstry ofCommumty Safety and CorrectIOnal ServIces) Employer
BEFORE FelIcIty D Bnggs Vice-Chair
FOR THE UNION Stephen GIles
Gnevance Officer
Ontano PublIc ServIce Employees Umon
FOR THE EMPLOYER Greg GledhIll
Staff RelatIOns Officer
Mimstry of Commumty Safety and
CorrectIOnal ServIces
HEARING October 30 2003
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DeCISIon
From March 13th to May 6th 2002, the Umon and Its members were engaged In a legal stnke
Pnor to the begInmng of thIS actIOn the partIes had negotIated a Memorandum of Agreement
regardIng the condItIOns of work In the event of a stnke or a lockout (hereInafter referred to as
the "CondItIOns Document") In that agreement It was provIded that "all collectIve agreement
provIsIOns apply to essentIal and emergency workers wIthout InterruptIOn, save only that
AppendIx 9 and AppendIx 18 shall not apply" The CondItIOns Document also expressly
provIded the Umon contInued nght under ArtIcle 22 13 of the CollectIve Agreement to file
Umon gnevances on behalf of employees who were performIng essentIal and emergency
servIces
Dunng the course of the stnke approxImately 5000 gnevances were filed by Umon members
across the Ontano PublIc ServIce As part of the negotiatIOns that ended the work stoppage, the
partIes negotIated a Return to Work Protocol That agreement contemplated vanous provIsIOns
IncludIng how contInUOUS servIce, pensIOn, credIts and semonty would be affected as a result of
the stnke AddItIOnally the partIes addressed other Issues such as repnsal, dIscIplIne and the
mechamcs of the actual return of the bargaInIng umt members to the workplace
It was further agreed these "stnke related" gnevances would be treated separately and lItIgated In
an efficIent manner To that end, on June 27 2002, OPSEU and the Mimstry of PublIc Safety
and Secunty (hereInafter referred to as "MPSS") met to dISCUSS a process In order to resolve the
outstandIng stnke related gnevances FolloWIng that meetIng a letter dated October 11 2002,
confirmed the agreement that:
In order to deal wIth the stnke related gnevances In a proactIve, expedItIOus and
effectIve manner the partIes have agreed to the folloWIng
. No stage 2 heanngs
. No filIng of stnke related gnevances at GSB untIl agreed otherwIse
. WaiVIng of tIme lImIts
. RespectIvely assIgmng dedIcated resources to deal wIth the volume
ApproxImately 4500 gnevances were filed by members employed by the MPSS The partIes
agreed to a DIspute ResolutIOn Protocol for MPSS that Included Terms of Reference It IS not
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necessary to provIde all of that agreement. It IS sufficIent to say that the partIes agreed to an
expedIted process whereIn each party provIdes to the Vice Chair wntten submIssIOns whIch
Include the facts, provIsIOns of the CollectIve Agreement, the EssentIal ServIces Agreement,
legIslatIOn or any other document alleged to have been vIOlated, arguments and requested
remedy Oral eVIdence would not be called although It was allowed that I could request further
clanficatIOn If necessary In the event of any confusIOn regardIng the facts of the matter or the
underlYIng ratIOnale I wIll dIrect the partIes to speak agaIn wIth theIr pnncIples
NotwIthstandIng that some gnevors mIght wIsh to attend and provIde oral eVIdence thIS process
has been efficIent and has allowed for a thorough canvaSSIng of the facts and arguments wIth
respect to the vanous Issues Other procedural Issues were addressed to ensure that gnevances
would be dealt wIth In a tImely fashIOn. The Terms of Reference also provIded that I would
remaIn seIzed of all outstandIng stnke related gnevances filed by members workIng In MPSS
ThIS process was developed In consIderatIOn of ArtIcle 22 16.2 of the collectIve agreement. It
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 maJonty of the 4500 gnevances dealt wIth one of the folloWIng Issues
. An allegatIOn of delayed retroactIve payments WIth a request for Interest OWIng;
. An allegatIOn of faIlure to pay appropnate holIday pay for Good Fnday and Easter
Monday
. EntItlement to call back;
. On-Call and Standby Issues for emergency workers
Those matters were separately lItIgated at the Gnevance Settlement Board and decIsIOns eIther
have been Issued or are pendIng.
In accordance wIth the agreement of the partIes a number of heanng days were scheduled to hear
and determIne the outstandIng stnke related gnevances Many of the gnevances have been
resolved through medIatIOn. ThIS IS another decIsIOn dealIng wIth those matters
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At Qumte DetentIOn Centre some CorrectIOnal Officers were dual tramed to work wIth adults
and young offenders Those five CorrectIOnal Officers who were dual tramed were mcluded m
the draw for work at the Young Offender Umt. ThIS changed the ratIO for the Young Offender
Umt to 2 classIfied staff for 1 unclassIfied. The partIes agreed to thIS schedulIng and sIgned that
arrangement.
The ratIO of classIfied to unclassIfied staff was consIdered m the CorrectIOns Bargammg Umt
Master Agreement for EssentIal ServIces whIch was ordered mto affect October 24 2002 by
Vice Chair Jamce Johnston. It was stated
13 In selectmg the essentIal servIce workers, the eXIstmg ratIO as of October 1 2001 of
ClassIfied to UnclassIfied employees shall be mamtamed (e g. m an mstItutIOn wIth 100
employees compnsed of 20 UnclassIfied and 80 ClassIfied and an essentIal servIces
reqUIrement for 50 staff, then 10 essentIal servIce workers wIll be UnclassIfied and 40
wIll be ClassIfied employees)
It was also stated m the Master Agreement that there shall be two lIsts for essentIal servIces m
those mstItutIOns where there are both young offenders and adult umts
At Qumte DetentIOn Centre the ratIO of classIfied to unclassIfied staff IS three to one If the five
gnevors were consIdered workmg m the adult umt. However once they were assIgned to the
young offender umt the ratIO was dropped to two to one Therefore, more unclassIfied were
utIlIzed dunng the stnke
The gnevance alleges that the ratIO of 2 1 should have been mamtamed for each and every ShIft
worked dunng the course of the stnke There was no dIspute between the partIes that the ratIO of
classIfied to unclassIfied was to be mamtamed over the penod of the schedulIng rotatIOn.
Accordmgly the gnevances are dIsmIssed.
Dated,. Toronto, tlus ,11"' day o~~arCh, 2004
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