Sharon Scott

The union applied for certification for employees at several branches of the respondent financial institution.

The union sought a multi-branch bargaining unit combining full-time and part-time employees, while the employer argued for single-branch units and the separation of full-time and part-time employees.

The Board determined that single-branch units were appropriate and maintained its practice of separating full-time and part-time employees.

Certificates were issued for units where the union had over 55% support, representation votes were ordered where support was between 45% and 55%, and the application was dismissed for units with less than 45% support.

In an application for certification involving seven branch offices of National Trust, the Ontario Labour Relations Board determined whether certain employees exercised managerial functions under section 1(3)(b) of the Labour Relations Act.

The Board examined the duties of seven Assistant Branch Managers/Administration Officers, finding that four exercised managerial functions and were excluded from the bargaining unit, while three did not and were included.

The Board also determined that Administration Officer Trainees did not exercise managerial functions but were excluded from the bargaining unit on community of interest grounds.

Finally, the Board ruled that the original panel was not seized with the remaining issues in the proceeding.

The applicant union applied for certification of employees at seven of the respondent's bank branches in Metropolitan Toronto.

The union requested that the seven branches be consolidated into a single bargaining unit, while the employer argued that the only appropriate units were either individual branches or a single unit of all 37 branches in Metropolitan Toronto.

The Board reviewed the jurisprudence on bargaining unit appropriateness and fragmentation.

The Board concluded that the seven branches shared a sufficiently coherent community of interest to bargain together on a viable basis without causing serious labour relations problems for the employer.

The Board consolidated the seven branches into a single bargaining unit but maintained its practice of separating part-time and full-time employees.