The defendant brought a motion to strike the plaintiff's statement of claim for lack of jurisdiction.
The parties were co-workers and unionized teachers subject to a collective agreement.
The plaintiff had sued the defendant for defamation, intentional interference with economic relations, and intentional infliction of mental distress arising from workplace harassment complaints.
The court applied the exclusive jurisdiction model from Weber, finding that the essential character of the dispute was workplace-related and arose from the interpretation, application, administration, or violation of the collective agreement.
The court concluded it lacked jurisdiction, as the dispute must be resolved through the grievance arbitration process.
The motion was granted and the action was dismissed.