HomeMy WebLinkAboutBISNAUTH-1993-23-02-TORONTO EAST GENERAL AND ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL
RECEIVED FEB 2 4 1993
IN THE MATTER OF AN ARBITRATION
BETWEEN:
TORONTO EAST GENERAL & ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL INC.
(the "Employer")
- AND -
THE ASSOCIATION OF ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS: ONTARIO
(the "Association")
'-
AND IN THE MATTER OF A GRIEVANCE OF R. BISNAUTH RE JOB POSTING
SOLE ARBITRATOR:
R.D. JOYCE
APPEARANCES:
FOR THE EMPLOYER:
J. BAKER
W. JONES
M. WILLIAMS
COUNSEL
FOR THE ASSOCIATION:
C. WILKEY
C. BOWMAN
COUNSEL
THIRD PARTY OF INTEREST:
S. MACKINNON
A hearing into this matter was held in Toronto, Ontario, on
November 13, 1992, and February 2, 1993.
AWARD
The Grievor, Ms. R. Bisnauth, alleges that the Employer's refusal
to accept her for a job vacancy for the position of Pulmonary
Function Technologist (PFT) is in violation of the terms of the
collective agreement.
The third party of interest, the incumbent, Ms. S. MacKinnon,
attended at the hearing but did not participate in the
proceedings.
The Employer posted for the vacant position of Registered
Pulmonary Function Techriologist (RPFT) in the Respiratory Therapy
Department on July 29, 1992.
The stated qualifications, position summary and responsibilities
were as follows:
Qualifications: Registered Cardia-Pulmonary Function
Technologist; must be registered with the Canadian
Association of Cardio-Pulmonary Technologists; a
background in Respiratory Therapy an asset.
position Summary and Duties: Responsible for
processing and performing all Pulmonary Function tests
on in-patients and out-patients done in the Hospital.
The Grievor is a graduate of the three-year Algonquin College
program in Respiratory Therapy (RT) and is a member of the
Respiratory Therapy Society of ontario. She commenced working
for the Hospital in June, 1989, as an RT and applied for the
posting for a Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT)
on July 30, 1992. The Grievor was the only internal applicant
and when she was not interviewed for the position and learned
that an external applicant had been selected, the instant
grievance was filed on September 8, 1992.
- 2 -
In short, it is the position of the Employer that when it became
known that the position would be open it was decided that it was
necessary to staff the function with a Registered Pulmonary
Function Technologist and as the Grievor's experience was not in
that field she did not meet the registration requirement of the
posting and hence was not given consideration for the position.
Further, as the Grievor would require training and a trial
period, and as such is not an obligation of the collective
agreement, the grievance must fail.
Pertinent provisions of the collective agreement follow:
'-
ARTICLE 3 - MANAGEMENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
3.01
The Association recognizes that the management of the
Hospital and the direction of working forces are fixed
exclusively in the Hospital and shall remain solely
with the Hospital, except as specifically limited by
the express provisions of this Agreement, and without
restricting the generality of the foregoing, the
Association acknowledges that it is the exclusive
function of the Hospital to:
(a) maintain order, discipline and
efficiency;
(b) hire, assign, retire, discharge,
direct, promote, demote, classify;
(c) determine in the interest of
efficient operation and highest
standard of service job rating or
classification, the hours of work,
the working establishment for any
service, tours of duties, working
schedules, and the location of
work;
(d) generally to manage the operation
that the Hospital is engaged in and
without restricting the generality
of the foregoing to determine the
standard of performance, the number
of personnel required, the services
"
- 3 -
to be performed and the methods,
procedures and equipment in
connection therewith.
The Hospital agrees that the above rights shall not be
exercised in a manner that is inconsistent with the
terms of this Agreement.
3.02
ARTICLE 14 - PROMOTIONS
14.01
An appointment to a new position constitutes a
promotion where:
14.03
a)
i) the maximum rate of pay applicable
to a new position to which the
appointrn~nt is made exceeds the
maximum rate of pay applicable to
the position held immediately prior
to the appointment, and
additionally
ii) the position to which the employee
is appointed requires additional
responsibilities.
Prior to an appointment to a new or vacant
position in the bargaining unit, the Hospital
shall post a notice of the vacant or new position,
including temporarily vacant positions for a
period in excess of six (6) months, on the
bulletin board provided for that purpose by the
Hospital for a period of five (5) working days,
exclusive of Saturday, Sunday and statutory
holidays. (A vacancy shall be defined as a
permanent opening, a temporarily vacant position
for more than six (6) months, or where the number
required by the Hospital in the classification
exceeds the number in the classification).
Applicants may make written application for such
job vacancy within the period specified in the
posting. In the event that a posted position is
filled by a member of the bargaining unit, the
newly created vacancy need only be posted for two
(2) working days, exclusive of Saturday, Sunday
and statutory holidays.
- 4 -
b) This posting procedure described in a) above may
be altered or eliminated by mutual consent of the
Hospital and the Association.
14.04
In cases where qualifications, performance, ability and
experience are relatively equal, seniority shall be the
deciding factor when decisions are made with regard to
promotions to the above-mentioned positions. Internal
applicants who apply in response to a general
advertisement of the job will be given preference in
consideration of their seniority with the Employer if
all other matters of qualifications are relatively
equal to those of an outside applicant.
14.08
If, following an internal job posting, no persons apply
or no applicants have the necessary qualifications,
performance, ~bility and experience, in the opinion of
the Hospital, then the Hospital may fill the job in its
discretion.
It is useful to review the two functions pertinent to this award,
i.e., RT and (R)PFT. The practice of Respiratory Therapy has
been defined as:
...the providing of Oxygen Therapy, Cardio-Respiratory
equipment monitoring and the assessment and treatment
of Cardio-Respiratory and associated disorders to
maintain or restore ventilation (Bill 64, Respiratory
Therapy Act, 1991).
Authorized Acts for Respiratory Therapists in ontario follows:
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
The practice of respiratory therapy is the providing of
oxygen therapy, cardio-respiratory equipment monitoring and
the assessment and treatment of cardio-respiratory and
associated disorders to maintain or restore ventilation.
AUTHORIZED ACTS
In the course of engaging in the practice of respiratory
therapy, a member is authorized, subject to the terms,
conditions and limitations imposed on his or her certificate
of registration, to perform the following:
- 5 -
1. Performing a prescribed procedure below the
dermis.
2. Intubation beyond the point in the nasal
passages where they normally narrow or beyond
the larynx.
3. suctioning beyond the point in the nasal
passages where they normally narrow or beyond
the larynx.
4. Administration of a substance by injection or
inhalation.
A description of the responsibilities, duties and entrance
requirements for an as~iring RPFT is found in a brochure
published by the Canadian Association of Cardio-pulmonary
Technologists and follows (in part):
The Registered pulmonary Function Technologist requires
specialized skills in order to perform diagnostic procedures
used for the investigation of pulmonary and cardiovascular
disorders. The Registered Technologist works closely with
the physician in order to provide information relevant to
the patient's diagnosis, prognosis, and surgical risk.
The Registered Technologist must have an extensive knowledge
of instrumentation and techniques, and furthermore must be
able to elicit active co-operation from the individual
patient during these procedures.
Before attempting the Registration Examination, the
technologist must:
Have the appropriate educational background,
that is, either a B. Sc. in Physiology,
Biology, Kinesiology or equivalent as decided
by the education committee: Bioscience
diploma - 2 year program; Major Medical
Technologies - 2 year program; Registered
Nurse - 2 year program; "all technologists
must have registered status". (Must) have
reached the age of 18 years. (Must) have had
not less than one year of appropriate
experience in a laboratory approved by the
Board of Directors in a cardiovascular and/or
- 6 -
pulmonary diagnostic capacity. (Must) hold a
current certification in C.P.R.
The evidence of the Grievor includes a review of the scope of
practice For Respiratory Therapy, relative to Pulmonary Function
Testing, as recommended by the Respiratory Therapy Society of
Ontario, as of August, 1992, which review details the scope of
practice including the Level I, Level II, and Added skills
requirements in Assessment, Interpretation, and Monitoring. The
Level I Skill requireme~ts under the sUb-heading Pu1monary
Function Testing are detailed as follows:
. Assessment of results to determine the validity of the
test
. Evaluation of airway disease using bronchoprovocation
and/or bronchodilator therapy
. Performing quality control measures according to the
Hospital policy and procedure
. Measurement of all lung volumes and gas flowrates by:
- Flow-volume loops
- Inert gas dilution
- Spirometry
. Measurement and/or calculation of:
- Airway resistance
Carrying capacity
Compliance
Dead space
Gas distribution
Gas transfer
Maximum voluntary ventilation
Negative inspiratory force
. Measurement, during exercise testing, of:
- Carbon dioxide production
- Lung volumes and flowrates
- Maximum ventilation
- Oxygen consumption
- Respiratory quotient
- 7 -
The Level II Basic Skills requirements are said to be:
. Measurement of lung volumes, gas flow and airway
resistance by plethysmography
Under the sUb-heading Pu1monary Artery Lines, it is stated:
. The measurement of wedge pressure and cardiac output on
the order of a physician in a Hospital when a physician
is available to intervene appropriately.
Under the sub-heading of Exercise, the Level I Basic Skills are
stated as being:
'-
. Assisting with passive and active exercises
. Graded exercise testing for cardiac stress testing and
pulmonary function testing
The Grievor then reviews the Algonquin College Pulmonary Function
Laboratory course content and details the third year clinical
rotation objectives as established by the College:
During their clinical year, respiratory therapy students
spend 3 weeks in a pulmonary function diagnostic lab
developing and integrating the skills and knowledge
necessary to operate the equipment and perform diagnostic
tests normally done by the pulmonary function staff.
Upon completion of this rotation, the respiratory student
shall be able to:
(a) Demonstrate the proper set up and operation of the
equipment used in pulmonary function labs.
(b) Describe the operating principle of the pulmonary
function equipment.
(c) Demonstrate under minimal superv~s~on, the ability to
perform a complete pulmonary function test, including
diffusion studies.
- 8 -
(d) describe the role of the pulmonary function staff
within the health care team.
The Grievor confirms that she attended at and graduated from the
total program as covered in evidence, with the exception of the
Exercise Level 1 Basic Skills section of the program as she did
not have the benefit of there being a computerized bicycle during
her period of study. Additionally, the Grievor reviews in
evidence her four-week in-hospital Pulmonary Function training
period at the conclusion of her course, during which time she
assisted in the attending of a total of eight patients over a
period of four weeks. '-
The evidence of the Grievor continues that when she heard that
the RPFT incumbent was leaving the employ of the Hospital she
spoke with the Director of Respiratory Therapy about the job and
was told that she would have to write an examination and become
registered approximately one year after being accepted for the
job. When the Grievor said that was acceptable to her, the
Director said that the Grievor would become bored with the job,
to which she responded that she did not believe that would be the
case and she wished to have a Monday-to-Friday day job as she
planned to attend evening classes. When the Director said that
the Grievor should think about it further because it would mean
she would be giving up her 12-hour shifts, the Grievor responded
that she had given that thought as well, and still wanted the
position. In a general staff meeting which took place subsequent
to the aforesaid discussion, the Director repeated that any
employee who was selected for the position would have to take an
examination and become registered within one year. still later,
the Grievor called the Director and was told that the position
would be posted early in the following week, and when the Grievor
asked the qualification requirements she was again told that it
would be necessary to become registered following one year's
- 9 -
experience on the job. The evidence of the Grievor continues
that when the job was posted she noticed that the requirement was
for a Registered Technologist but she nevertheless decided to
apply. It was not until the day before the present incumbent
commenced employment that the Grievor learned that the job had
been filled.
The evidence of the Director of Respiratory Therapy is that she
seriously considered permitting the position to be filled with an
RT who would complete the examination and become registered while
on the job, but after discussing the matter with the Doctor who
is most active in the area, as well as with the V.P. of Special
Services to whom she reports, it was .unanimously decided to seek
an experienced person who was a Registered PFT. This decision
was subsequently reviewed with the departing incumbent who agreed
with the direction being taken. The decision was made after
taking into account that technology had changed in recent years
and the Hospital wanted to have the most qualified person
possible in the area. While the majority of the equipment was
the same as when the former incumbent started on the job in 1986
without registration, computerization was introduced in 1988 and
Level I Exercise Testing was introduced in 1991. The work was
sufficiently complex that the laboratory had to be closed when
the former incumbent was absent, e.g., during vacation periods;
the Hospital had attempted to continue the operation by
temporarily assigning an RT to the function, but the results were
unsatisfactory and after the one attempt the experiment was not
renewed. Though RT's have considerable experience and expertise
in their field, their Pulmonary Function training does not come
close to matching that of an RPFT. The Pulmonary Function lab is
a diagnostic lab that does diagnostic tests for determining
- 10 -
respiratory diseases, with the majority of patients coming from
the Respirologists in the Hospital, while Respiratory Therapists
are expected to work in all areas of the Hospital with most of
their time spent in the critical care area, the tasks and
responsibilities of the two functions being quite different.
The witness states that prior to the time the previous incumbent
was hired, the pulmonary lab was staffed with an RT but there was
such a shortage of employees in that classification when an
opening occurred in 1986 that the Hospital had to engage the
previous incumbent who was a graduate Kinesiologist who had not
had previous training as an RT or .as a PFT. Subsequent to her
gaining the required one year's experience in the function she
wrote the RPFT examination and became registered. There are no
accredited courses to become a PFT or an RPFT but the previous
incumbent did attend six one-night study sessions at the Toronto
General Hospital. The Employer decided that as the Lab had
functioned with a highly experienced, competent, RPFT for a
number of years now, it would not be desirable to lower the high
standards that had been established by staffing the position with
a non-registered PFT.
The witness acknowledges that she was aware that there were no
employees on the payroll at the time of the posting who could
qualify for the position as no employees possessed a PFT
registration. She confirms that the present incumbent
experienced a three-week period on the job during which the
previous incumbent was still on the job, though the latter was
absent for three days during that period; it should not be
assumed that the new hire required that much familiarization
time, though the witness acknowledges that she sought and was
given approval to have that period of overlap. It is the view of
the witness that an experienced RT could be comfortable in the
- 11 -
Pulmonary Function job in a minimum period of four to six weeks.
It would take perhaps only two days to learn to give and evaluate
the bicycle stress test. The witness acknowledges that the
Grievor's performance as an RT is satisfactory and it could be
assumed that she could eventually perform the PFT job
satisfactorily and become registered after one year. At the time
of the selection, the witness was not aware of the specific
experience the Grievor had in the ottawa Hospitals, but is of the
view that her clinical experience would have been about equal to
her own Algonquin RT academic experience in 1980 - 1981 as the
equipment has not changed very much. That training, however,
does not come close to ~~e qualifications held by an RPFT.
CONCLUSIONS
The starting point in this review is to confirm that under the
instant collective agreement the Employer is not required to
provide a job applicant with a trial or training period.
The two questions to be ultimately answered in response to this
grievance are, is the Employer's requirement to have the instant
position filled with a Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist
(RPFT) a valid requirement and, if not, is the Grievor entitled
to the position in any event, given the determination that the
Employer is not obliged to provide a trial or training period?
That is, given the Grievor's education and experience, would she
be entitled to a period of familiarization on the job if the
Employer were found to have established improper criteria for the
job?
If it can be said that any grievance warrants closer examination
than another, this is one of those cases. The two primary
- 12 -
reasons for this are, first, the function has been filled in the
past without the successful applicant being registered as a PFT,
until after one year on the job and passing the required
examination. Why the change in standard at this time? Second,
and of extreme importance to the employees, is that the
Employer's position effectively prevents employees from ever
being able to successfully apply for the position of RPFT. The
reason for this is that in order to be eligible to write the
examination to become an RPFT, one must have one year's
experience as a PFT, and if the position that is open in this
Hospital is to be restricted to an RPFT, employees could never
write the examination unless they left their employment or were
given a leave of absence to gain experience elsewhere and then
returned to the instant Employer as an RPFT. As neither of those
two scenarios are likely to occur with any degree of regularity,
my conclusion is that the Employer's decision effectively
prevents employees from successfully applying for a job that is
part of the bargaining unit.
While that may be a difficult position for employees to face, if
the combination of the Employer's legitimate staffing
requirements and the terms of the collective agreement require
and permit what has led to the instant grievance, so be it. It
is certainly not for me to alter the terms of the collective
agreement or to permit a training or trial period.
Turning to the collective agreement, one finds that article 14.01
has no application to the instant grievance; that article
specifically stipulates that in order for an appointment to a new
position to be considered a promotion, the job sought by the
applicant must be of a higher dollar value than the
classification the applicant is in at the time of the posting.
In the instant case the two classifications carry the same salary
- 13 -
rate so the posting does not represent a promotion for the
Grievor.
Article 14.03 is pertinent only to the extent that it tells us,
in combination with articles 14.04 and 14.08 that, subject to job
duration considerations, all vacancies must be posted and
employees may apply for them, even though the posted job may not
equate with the article 14.01 definition of a promotion for a
particular applicant. Indeed, the Employer agrees that an
employee may properly apply for a non-promotional position.
The first sentence of a~ticle 14.04 deals only with promotions
and hence is not of assistance to us. The last sentence of the
article and article 14.08 read as follows:
14.04 (last sentence):
Internal applicants who apply in response to a general
advertisement of the job will be given preference in
consideration of their seniority with the Employer if all
other matters of qualifications are relatively equal to
those of an outside applicant.
14.08:
If, following an internal job posting, no persons apply or
no applicants have the necessary qualifications,
performance, ability and experience, in the opinion of the
Hospital, then the Hospital may fill the job in its
discretion.
At first blush, the two above-noted provisions appear to be
contradictory and certainly article 14.04 is most puzzling. That
article states that in the case of a general advertisement of the
job, the internal applicant must have qualifications that are
relatively equal to those held by an external applicant before
seniority becomes the prevailing factor. On the other hand,
article 14.08 stipulates that internal applicants must have the
- 14 -
necessary qualifications, performance, ability, and experience in
order to successfully meet an internal job posting; failing that,
the Hospital may fill the job in its discretion. Just how the
job could then be advertised generally with the potential result
being that an internal applicant could successfully qualify in
preference to an external applicant under 14.04 is a
contradiction in terms; the only possible way that could work is
if the employee did not apply for the internal posting, then
later had a change of aspirations and applied for the general
posting.
Another seeming contradiction is that while article 14.04
stipulates that relatively equal factors between internal
applicants must be considered in the case of promotions, that is
not a consideration in the case of non-promotional applications
and it is not a consideration under article 14.08.
My conclusion is that given the above-noted contradictions,
article 14.04 has no application to the instant case and, indeed,
it could well be argued as well that the provision has no
application because the clause in total deals with promotions and
this is not a job application or a grievance that pertains to a
promotion for the Grievor under article 14.01. Certainly the
first sentence of the article deals only with promotional
situations and it seems clear that the words "the job" in the
second sentence of the article continues the notion that the
clause deals only with promotions.
In any event, for either or both of the stated reasons, I am
satisfied that the only provision applicable to the instant
grievance is article 14.08, which article can be read in no other
way but that in order for the Grievor to successfully apply for
the posted job, she must have the necessary qualifications,
- 15 -
performance, ability and experience, as determined in the opinion
of the Employer. If the Grievor possesses those aforesaid
ingredients, an external applicant cannot be a consideration.
This takes us first to an examination of the Employer's
stipulated qualifications for the position and second, the
Grievor's qualifications to perform the function.
The Employer determined that the function had to be performed by
a person who had at least one year in the position of a PFT and
who had passed the necessary examination to become an RPFT.
While there are established general educational entrance
requirements, there are no other entrance or accredited courses
to become a PFT or an RPFT; one year as a PFT and the passing of
a six-hour exam qualifies one as an RPFT.
A review of some of the background is helpful. The Director of
the Department states that prior to the previous incumbent being
hired for the job, it was filled by interested employees who were
working for the Hospital as Respiratory Therapists, that being
the Grievor's classification. The evidence continues that when
the position came open in 1986 there was an extreme shortage of
RT's so it was filled by an external applicant who was not an RT
and was not a registered PFT but who became registered after
approximately one year on the job. Additional evidence is that
most of the equipment is the same as it was when the former
incumbent started on the job. Computer equipment was introduced
in 1988 and the computerized exercise cycle was introduced in
1991. While the Grievor states that she would require a two-week
familiarization period before becoming totally familiar with the
equipment and routine (partly because all aspects of the job are
not exercised every day), the Director states that she believes
it would take her a minimum of four to six weeks. The Director
- 16 -
states that it would take the Grievor two days to learn the
exercise cycle testing program. The Director requested and
received approval to have the current incumbent work with the
previous incumbent for a period of three weeks prior to the
departure of the previous incumbent.
Additional evidence is that the Director is a 1981 RT graduate of
the same school from which the Grievor graduated but as the
decision was made that the Hospital required an RPFT she did not
examine the course content in effect at the time of the Grievor's
graduation and she was not aware of the in-hospital training the
Grievor experienced in her last year of college.
A review of the differences in the two job descriptions, PFT and
RPFT reveals that the description that was in effect from 1988 to
1992 stipulates that the requirement pertaining to registration
is, "Eligible for registration with the Canadian Association of
Cardia-Pulmonary Technologists" and under the heading "other
skills" it is stated, "A background in Respiratory Therapy an
asset"; the description dated July 10, 1992, stipulates the
requirement as being, "Must be registered with the Canadian
Association of Cardiopulmonary Technologists." "Other skills"
continues to state, "A background in Respiratory Therapy an
asset." While there are minor changes in the wording under
"Duties and Responsibilities," the only meaningful change is the
addition of, "Performs all stage 1 exercise testing on inpatients
and outpatients, done in the Hospital," found in the latest
description.
The successful external applicant, Ms. MacKinnon, is a 1985
graduate of the University of Waterloo, Bachelor of Science,
Honours, Kinesiology, and worked for another Hospital as a PFT
from 1985 to 1991. There is no argument that she is well
- 17 -
qualified to perform the required duties in the instant Hospital.
There could be no argument that if she had been an internal
applicant for the position, and if the collective agreement
provided for the best internal applicant to be granted the
position, Ms. MacKinnon would have been selected in preference to
the Grievor. That, however, is not the situation and it is the
Association's position that the Employer is required to transfer
the Grievor in preference to hiring externally.
One element in this case requires underlining. To become an
RPFT, one requires experience in the field. One cannot become an
RPFT by taking accredited courses or by simply furthering one's
scholastic achievements. While the Employer can properly say
that registration is a requirement, another equally proper way of
characterizing the requirement would be to say that only those
with on-the-job experience need apply.
In requ1r1ng that a job applicant, in order to be successful, be
an RPFT the Employer is saying no more and no less than that the
applicant must have at least one year's experience in the
function and must have passed an examination. If one accepts
that condition, the opportunity for the position would be lost to
all of the Hospital's employees because it is impossible to
obtain that experience in this Hospital. The opportunity to
obtain the position would be restricted to those who had been
fortunate enough to have worked previously for a Hospital which
was willing to engage a non-registered person for the job, just
as the instant Hospital was willing to do in the past. More
importantly, if the Hospital can add experience and the passing
of an examination as the entrance criteria to the PFT position
(and to repeat, that is all Registration means), why then would
the Employer not be able to add that same criteria to many other
jobs, thus effectively cutting off the promotional and transfer
- 18 -
opportunities ostensibly offered under the terms of the
collective agreement?
While the Employer most certainly has the right to establish
higher realistic standards and to require that job applicants
demonstrate that they are participating in or have successfully
completed relevant courses of study, including those that are
designed to provide the applicant with up-dated technical,
technology and other information, that right does not extend to
requiring pure on-the-job experience coupled with the passing of
an examination that is tied directly to that same experience.
'-
This being so, the determination of this aspect of the case is
that the Employer's decision to restrict the job posting to a
Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist was in violation of
the collective agreement.
That, however, does not necessarily mean that the Grievor's
qualifications permit her a period of familiarization on the job
and that is now reviewed.
The Grievor estimates that she would require a period of two
weeks in order to become familiar with the equipment and the
routine. The Director of the Department estimates that the
period would be a minimum of four to six weeks. When the current
incumbent, a highly experienced RPFT was hired, the Director
sought and was granted a three-week overlap period before the
previous incumbent left her employ. In fairness, it may be that
the Director wished to have a period of that duration in order to
have the previous incumbent assess the new employee. The
evidence reveals that the Grievor successfully passed the
Algonquin program, including the Pulmonary Function section of
that program and the evidence reveals as well that she gained
- 19 -
some, though limited, experience at two Hospitals. The Grievor
does not have experience on the computerized bicycle exercise
program but the Director states that this would require only a
two-day learning period.
I am satisfied that if a job posting for a PFT had been
published, coupled with the requirement that the successful
applicant would be required to obtain registration after
approximately one year on the job, the Grievor would have been
selected and provided with a period of familiarization, had she
been the most senior qualified applicant. The problem is that
having found that the WT>ong posting was published, no one can be
absolutely certain that other and more senior employees to the
Grievor would not have applied for the job had the proper
criteria been posted. This being so, the job cannot be awarded
directly to the Grievor as a result of this award.
Given the above facts and determinations, the award is that the
Employer is required to post for the position of Pulmonary
Function Technician. The Grievor's previous application is to
apply to this posting, unless she prefers to submit a revised
application. If other employees who were on the payroll at the
time of the original posting apply, the Employer is then to
select who is to be awarded the position. If the Grievor is
selected, she is to be given credit for having been on the job
from the date the previous incumbent left the employ of the
Hospital. I am not at all certain that service recognition on
this job will provide the Grievor with any added benefit or
protection in the future, but in the event that it does, she is
given that benefit and/or protection. As the rate of pay for the
RT job is the same as that for the PFT job, retroactive pay is
not a consideration. That fact provides the Hospital with the
opportunity to both provide the Grievor with a period of
- 20 -
familiarization and the present incumbent, who is placed in a
difficult position through no fault of her own, with time to
readjust which, of course, may mean employment elsewhere. In
order to accommodate the adjustment requirements of the present
incumbent, the Grievor, if selected, need not be placed on the
job for a period of up to three months from the date of this
award. In the interim the Grievor is to be provided with
whatever familiarization period is required. I, of course, have
no jurisdiction to order any conditions or time frames in the
event an employee other than the Grievor is selected for the
position under article 14.08.
'-
Dated at Toronto, Ontario, this,z3~day of February, 1993.
~~~-l /
R. 'D. Joy
Arbitrator