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Home My WebLink About2013-0433.Alix.14-05-07 DecisionCrown Employees Grievance Settlement Board Suite 600 180 Dundas St. West Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8 Tel. (416) 326-1388 Fax (416) 326-1396 Commission de règlement des griefs des employés de la Couronne Bureau 600 180, rue Dundas Ouest Toronto (Ontario) M5G 1Z8 Tél. : (416) 326-1388 Téléc. : (416) 326-1396 GSB#2013-0433 UNION#2013-5105-0033 Additional files listed in Appendix “A” IN THE MATTER OF AN ARBITRATION Under THE CROWN EMPLOYEES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ACT Before THE GRIEVANCE SETTLEMENT BOARD BETWEEN Ontario Public Service Employees Union (Alix) Union - and - The Crown in Right of Ontario (Ministry of Government Services) Employer BEFORE Nimal Dissanayake Vice-Chair FOR THE UNION Tim Hannigan Ryder Wright Blair & Holmes LLP Barristers and Solicitors Counsel FOR THE EMPLOYER Jonathan Rabinovitch Ministry of Government Services Legal Services Branch Counsel HEARING May 2, 2014 - 2 - Decision [1] The Board is seized with some 53 identically worded grievances from individuals (`grievors`) employed as Pay and Benefits Specialists. The statement of grievance is as follows: I grieve the employer has violated my rights with regard to, but not restricted to Article 2, 9, Appendix 30, Section 25 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act as well as any other Applicable Articles, Policies or Legislation, including the “Anti-Bulling” Section of Article 3 in the recently ratified Collective Agreement. The settlement desired is “Full redress. Increased compensation and open dialogue with MERC/CERC” [2] The parties agreed to proceed under the mediation-arbitration provision set out in article 22.16 of the collective agreement. [3] The employer presented a motion that the grievances should be dismissed on two grounds. First, the employer moves that even if all of the facts asserted in the union’s particulars are accepted as provable, they are not capable of establishing a prima facie violation of any of the collective agreement provisions or the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Secondly, the employer asserts that, the grievances are nothing more than disguised classification grievances over which the Board has no jurisdiction. [4] In Re Couture, 2008-3329 (Dissanayake) at para 12 the Board set out the test to be applied in determining a motion that the grievances do not disclose a prima facie case, as follows: “… the Board is required to determine whether the facts asserted, if accepted as true, are capable of substantiating the violation alleged”. The parties agreed that the foregoing test should govern the disposition of the instant motion. [5] I have reviewed the detailed particulars submitted by the union and the authorities filed by the employer. On an application of the test set out in Re Couture, I conclude that the facts asserted therein, if accepted as established, are not capable of substantiating a prima facie contravention of any of the collective agreement or statutory provisions relied upon by the union. - 3 - [6] Moreover, the gist of the grievances is to the effect that the grievors are entitled to an increase in pay, commensurate with the increase in their duties as a result of the introduction and subsequent upgrading of the WIN system. Thus it is asserted that the grievors “have increased responsibilities since the introduction of WIN, their duties have increased and the position requires significantly more accountability, knowledge and analytical skills”. The Board concludes that the substance of the grievances is to the effect that the grievors are entitled to an increase in pay in recognition of the changes in their duties and responsibilities. Although no reclassification is explicitly sought, such an increase can be obtained from the Board only through an order for upward reclassification of the grievors’ position. However, section 51 of the Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act explicitly prohibits the Board from assuming jurisdiction to make such an order. [7] For all of the above reasons, the employer’s motion is upheld and all of the grievances are hereby dismissed. Dated at Toronto, Ontario this 7th day of May 2014 Nimal Dissanayake, Vice-Chair - 4 - Appendix “A” GSB Number OPSEU File Number Grievor 2013-0434 2013-5105-0004 Amichand-Mohan, Rose 2013-0435 2013-5105-0005 Boudarga, Saida 2013-0436 2013-5105-0006 Cabral, Teresa 2013-0437 2013-5105-0007 Campbell, Camille 2013-0438 2013-5105-0008 Campbell, Ederle 2013-0439 2013-5105-0009 Cestra, Maria 2013-0440 2013-5105-0010 Collazos, Carlos 2013-0441 2013-5105-0011 Cantos, Corazon 2013-0442 2013-5105-0012 Callos, Eva 2013-0443 2013-5105-0013 Caparas, Michael 2013-0444 2013-5105-0014 Chan, Wai Ning 2013-0445 2013-5105-0015 Chereji, Cristina 2013-0446 2013-5105-0016 Clasadonte, Mary 2013-0447 2013-5105-0017 Daley, Carla 2013-0448 2013-5105-0018 Daniel, Alison 2013-0449 2013-5105-0019 D'Souza, Christopher 2013-0450 2013-5105-0020 Edwards, Sonia 2013-0451 2013-5105-0021 Gocool, Kamal 2013-0452 2013-5105-0022 Gunraj, Justin 2013-0453 2013-5105-0023 Gulapa, Ronald 2013-0454 2013-5105-0024 Harquail, Patricia 2013-0455 2013-5105-0025 Kabani, Hussein 2013-0456 2013-5105-0026 Fernandes, Audrey 2013-0457 2013-5105-0027 Fraser, Corabell 2013-0458 2013-5105-0028 Jindani, Naznin 2013-0459 2013-5105-0029 Kelly, Paula 2013-0460 2013-5105-0030 Kumal, Himowtie 2013-0461 2013-5105-0031 Maciel, Julia 2013-0462 2013-5105-0032 Maharaj, Sue 2013-0463 2013-5105-0033 Manalo, Maria 2013-0464 2013-5105-0034 Mcewen, Joseph 2013-0465 2013-5105-0035 Nagularajah, Vasuki 2013-0466 2013-5105-0036 Nair, Roopesh 2013-0467 2013-5105-0037 Nip-Diep, Tak Oi 2013-0468 2013-5105-0038 Nixon, Kimberly 2013-0469 2013-5105-0039 Owen, Melanie 2013-0470 2013-5105-0040 Ouzounis, Sofija 2013-0471 2013-5105-0041 Patel, Hina 2013-0472 2013-5105-0042 Paes, Xavier 2013-0473 2013-5105-0043 Pereira, Cleone 2013-0474 2013-5105-0044 Rizzi, Teresa 2013-0475 2013-5105-0045 Radolovic, Aggie 2013-0476 2013-5105-0046 Segal, Martine 2013-0477 2013-5105-0047 Shen, Nina 2013-0478 2013-5105-0048 Siochi, Roberto 2013-0479 2013-5105-0049 Stratton, Brenda - 5 - GSB Number OPSEU File Number Grievor 2013-0480 2013-5105-0050 Tansingco, Leilani 2013-0481 2013-5105-0051 Turner, Karen 2013-0482 2013-5105-0052 Toban, Marvet 2013-0483 2013-5105-0053 Tinio, Rebecca 2013-0484 2013-5105-0054 Wang, Theresa 2013-0485 2013-5105-0055 Wright, Paulene 2013-0486 2013-5105-0056 Yuen, Mei Hung