GSB#2011-3328

UNION#2012-0234-0006

Appendix “A” attached with additional files

IN THE MATTER OF AN ARBITRATION

Under

THE CROWN EMPLOYEES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ACT

Before

THE GRIEVANCE SETTLEMENT BOARD

BETWEEN

Ontario Public Service Employees Union

(Group)

Union

• and -

The Crown in Right of Ontario

(Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services)

Employer

BEFORE

Felicity D. Briggs

Vice-Chair

FOR THE UNION

Nick Mustari, Jackie Crawford & Gregg Gray

Ontario Public Service Employees Union

Grievance Officers

FOR THE EMPLOYER

Greg Gledhill

Treasury Board Secretariat

Centre for Employee Relations

Employee Relations Advisor

HEARING

January 15, 2015

Decision

1The Employer and the Union at the Maplehurst Correctional Centre agreed to participate in the Expedited Mediation-Arbitration process in accordance with the negotiated Protocol. Some of the grievances were settled through that process. However, a few grievances remained unresolved and therefore require a decision from this Board. The Protocol provides that decisions will be issued within a relatively short period of time after the actual mediation sessions and will be without reasons. Further, the decision is to be without prejudice and precedent.

2Numerous Correctional Officers filed grievances regarding the Employer’s practice of assigning Community Escort Duty. Their complaints and allegations of statute and Collective Agreement violations arose because the Employer frequently arranges for police officers, officers of the court or other non-bargaining unit personnel to undertake Community Escort Duty. Additionally, there was a concern raised regarding those occasions when Correctional Officers from other institutions are utilized.

3The grievors maintain that this improper assignment of Community Escort Duty strips them of the opportunity to earn extra compensation such as a meal allowance and overtime.

4Some of the frustrations raised by the grievors included the fact that there is a trained Escort Team at Maplehurst and it should be this team that is assigned the very work they have been trained to do. The grievors explained it is not unusual that when “outside” people do the work standard operating procedures are not followed. This lack of consistency sometimes leads to negative affects on the inmates’ behaviour.

5The Union, on behalf of the grievors, said that many COs are at a loss to understand why the Employer is prepared to pay non-bargaining unit personnel, such as the local police, an amount of compensation “far in excess” of what COs would be paid to do this work.

6It was asserted by the Union that this scheduling of non-bargaining unit personnel is not just done in last minute emergency situations. The grievors said that often this scheduling is done many days in advance. Further, even after the initial scheduling of the non-bargaining unit personnel is done, if it becomes possible for the Maplehurst COs to do the escort, the outside people are not cancelled occasionally resulting in an overage of staff within the Complex.

7The grievors asserted that a result of these assignments is that they are not receiving the same level of compensation as outside personnel when they are both performing exactly the same work. It was contended that this disparity violates the Pay Equity Act, the Employment Standards Act and the Workplace Discrimination Harassment Policy.

8It was very apparent during the presentation of this matter by the Union that the grievors are very frustrated and view the Employer’s “outsourcing” as fiscally irresponsible and demeaning to those COs trained and willing – indeed anxious - to do the work.

9It was the view of some of the grievors that in those instances when an unforeseen need for a community escort arises, any Community Escort Duty trained CO who is at work at Maplehurst should be re-assigned to the escort duty leaving their original day’s assignment to be backfilled for the remainder of the shift. This would allow the trained Maplehurst COs the potential overtime opportunity.

10These grievances were not filed as the result of instances where COs made it known that they were available for overtime on HPRO and then were not called to do this work.

11By way of remedy the grievors requested to be paid at the level of a Police Officer for that work; to be assigned that work in all instances except where there is no trained Maplehurst COs available; and to receive any difference in the amount of compensation for missed opportunities since the filing of the grievance.

12The Employer maintained that it has the right to assign work and there has been no violation of the Collective Agreement or the Provincial Overtime Protocol. The Employer also urged that neither employment related policies nor statutes have been abridged.

13After consideration, I am of the view that the grievances must fail. Further, I am compelled to say that this Board has previously determined this precise issue and arrived at the same result.

14Although I understand the grievors’ frustration, the Employer’s actions are not a violation of the Pay Equity Act or the Employment Standards Act. Nor is the assigning of outside personnel to do Community Escort Duty a violation of the WDHP. To be clear, there is nothing in those statutes or the policy that would lead to a finding that COs are entitled to the same amount of compensation paid to local police when they are engaged for Community Escort duty.

15Further, there is no violation of any provision of the Collective Agreement or the Provincial Overtime Protocol. As noted above, the matter of the Employer’s ability to assign Community Escort Duty has been canvassed in the past. In Re The Crown in Right of Ontario (MCSCS) & OPSEU (Charles et al) GSB #2002-1354 (Herlich), the issue of whether the Employer had to engage in an “all-call” exercise before assigning Community Escort was considered. Vice Chair Herlich undertook a thorough review of previous agreements between the parties and the Provincial Overtime Protocol. He found that there was no obligation for the Employer to “engage in and complete an all-call before considering other options in relation to the assignment of community escort.”

16It is apparent from the decision of Vice Chair Herlich that similar arguments were made in that case. Beginning at paragraph 79 he said:

Having regard to the foregoing, I am satisfied that, under the POP, the employer is not obligated to engage in and complete an all-call before considering other options in relation to the assignment of community escort.

(Having come to that conclusion, I feel compelled to repeat my bewilderment at why the parties would not agree to instituting a procedure that would permit the employer to fully canvass all COs before even having to consider options such as the use of local police. One would have thought that, in the current technological climate, it would be possible for the employer to effect such a canvassing virtually instantaneously (e.g. by email or text message or telephone broadcast voice mail or by any other number of possible means.) The parties have entrenched a first responder approach to overtime offers to employees on this list. No doubt a similar such approach could apply to the secondary canvass and the employer would know in a matter of minutes whether any COs were willing to accept the tendered work offer. This would obviously permit the parties to continue to meet their joint or at least overlapping objectives: security trained personnel in a timely fashion, maximizing the work performed by bargaining unit employees and minimizing the need to assign the work to non-bargaining unit personnel, with the associated costs).

17Vice Chair Herlich’s decision was written in August of 2011. It is unfortunate that the parties have done nothing – at least nothing that was brought to my attention - to facilitate a resolution to this matter.

18It bears repeating that the grievance before this Board is not an assertion that individual rights under HPRO have been violated.

19Accordingly, the grievances at Appendix A are thereby dismissed.

Dated at Toronto, Ontario this 29th day of January 2015.

CASE NAME

LAST NAME

FIRST NAME

GSB#

OPSEU #

CASE DATE

1

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2011-3328

2012-0234-0006

21-Jan-12

2

BAILIE

Bailie

Steven

2013-1418

2013-0234-0109

10-Jul-13

3

BAILIE

Bailie

Steven

2013-2856

2013-0234-0339

31-Oct-13

4

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2013-1119

2013-0234-0079

5-Jun-13

5

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2013-3321

2013-0234-0360

18-Nov-13

6

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2013-3322

2013-0234-0361

16-Nov-13

7

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2013-3323

2013-0234-0362

16-Nov-13

8

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2013-4086

2013-0234-0397

21-Nov-13

9

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2013-4087

2013-0234-0398

23-Dec-13

10

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2014-0611

2014-0234-0104

15-Apr-14

11

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2014-2064

2014-0234-0334

30-May-14

12

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2014-2065

2014-0234-0335

31-May-14

13

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2014-2070

2014-0234-0341

1-Jun-14

14

BEAUDOIN

Beaudoin

Gregoire

2014-2974

2014-0234-0395

12-Sep-14

15

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2013-2392

2013-0234-0325

3-Sep-13

16

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2013-3378

2013-0234-0375

7-Dec-13

17

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2014-0511

2013-0234-0409

22-Dec-13

18

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2013-3731

2014-0234-0013

19-Jan-14

19

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2014-0027

2014-0234-0055

15-Feb-14

20

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2014-0353

2014-0234-0064

23-Mar-14

21

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2014-0354

2014-0234-0065

30-Mar-14

22

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2014-0516

2014-0234-0093

5-Jan-14

23

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2014-0517

2014-0234-0094

5-Jan-14

24

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2014-0612

2014-0234-0105

27-Apr-14

25

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2014-2054

2014-0234-0324

16-Jun-14

26

FOLEY

Foley

Michael

2014-2652

2014-0234-0376

20-Jul-14

27

MILLS ET AL

Mills

Doug

2013-0045

2013-0234-0027

1-Mar-13

28

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-1120

2013-0234-0080

11-Jun-13

29

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-1143

2013-0234-0104

20-Jun-13

30

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-1144

2013-0234-0105

20-Jun-13

31

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-1145

2013-0234-0106

20-Jun-13

32

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-1146

2013-0234-0107

20-Jun-13

33

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-1424

2013-0234-0115

3-Jul-13

34

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-1425

2013-0234-0116

5-Jul-13

35

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-1426

2013-0234-0117

6-Jul-13

36

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-1569

2013-0234-0128

22-Jun-13

37

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-1703

2013-0234-0136

11-Jul-13

38

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-2807

2013-0234-0333

20-Jun-13

39

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-2808

2013-0234-0334

20-Jun-13

40

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-2809

2013-0234-0335

20-Jun-13

41

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-2810

2013-0234-0336

20-Jun-13

42

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2013-3029

2013-0234-0346

6-Nov-13

43

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2014-0506

2013-0234-0404

30-Dec-13

44

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2014-0512

2014-0234-0089

5-Jan-14

45

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2014-0513

2014-0234-0090

6-Jan-14

46

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2014-1707

2014-0234-0264

25-Apr-14

47

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2014-1708

2014-0234-0265

26-Apr-14

48

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2014-1709

2014-0234-0266

27-Apr-14

49

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2014-1710

2014-0234-0267

1-May-14

50

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2014-1711

2014-0234-0268

2-May-14

51

NICHOLSON

Nicholson

Brent

2014-1712

2014-0234-0269

3-May-14

52

PORTER

Porter

Brian

2013-1135

2013-0234-0095

14-Jun-13

53

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-1125

2013-0234-0085

5-Jun-13

54

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-1126

2013-0234-0086

6-Jun-13

55

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-1127

2013-0234-0087

7-Jun-13

56

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-1128

2013-0234-0088

9-Jun-13

57

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-1136

2013-0234-0096

13-Jun-13

58

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-1140

2013-0234-0100

19-Jun-13

59

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-1141

2013-0234-0101

20-Jun-13

60

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-1428

2013-0234-0119

2-Jul-13

61

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-1429

2013-0234-0120

5-Jul-13

62

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-1704

2013-0234-0137

25-Jul-13

63

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-3030

2013-0234-0347

6-Nov-13

64

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-3169

2013-0234-0352

16-Nov-13

65

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-4084

2013-0234-0395

17-Dec-13

66

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-4090

2014-0234-0025

5-Jan-14

67

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-4091

2014-0234-0026

6-Jan-14

68

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-4443

2014-0234-0037

1-Mar-14

69

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-4444

2014-0234-0038

2-Mar-14

70

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-4445

2014-0234-0039

8-Mar-14

71

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2013-4446

2014-0234-0040

9-Mar-14

72

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-0979

2014-0234-0125

24-Apr-14

73

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-0980

2014-0234-0126

1-May-14

74

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-0981

2014-0234-0127

2-May-14

75

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-1037

2014-0234-0128

3-May-14

76

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-2066

2014-0234-0336

26-May-14

77

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-2067

2014-0234-0338

7-Jun-14

78

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-2068

2014-0234-0339

8-Jun-14

79

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-2069

2014-0234-0340

9-Jun-14

80

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-2312

2014-0234-0357

21-Jun-14

81

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-2313

2014-0234-0358

22-Jun-14

82

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-2655

2014-0234-0387

8-Aug-14

83

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-3067

2014-0234-0438

20-Sep-14

84

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-3068

2014-0234-0439

13-Sep-14

85

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-3069

2014-0234-0440

19-Sep-14

86

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-3326

2014-0234-0459

18-Oct-14

87

RANCK

Ranck

Kelly

2014-3327

2014-0234-0460

19-Oct-14

88

RANCK ET AL

Ranck

Kelly

2013-0971

2013-0234-0071

4-Jun-13

89

ROBERTSON

Robertson

Colin

2013-4434

2014-0234-0028

28-Feb-14

90

ROBERTSON

Robertson

Colin

2013-4435

2014-0234-0029

28-Feb-14

91

ROBERTSON

Robertson

Colin

2013-4436

2014-0234-0030

28-Feb-14

92

ROBERTSON

Robertson

Colin

2013-4437

2014-0234-0031

28-Feb-14

93

ROBERTSON

Robertson

Colin

2013-4438

2014-0234-0032

8-Mar-14

94

ROBERTSON

Robertson

Colin

2013-4439

2014-0234-0033

9-Mar-14

95

ROBERTSON

Robertson

Colin

2013-4440

2014-0234-0034

10-Mar-14

96

ROBERTSON

Robertson

Colin

2013-4441

2014-0234-0035

13-Mar-14

97

ROBERTSON

Robertson

Colin

2014-0359

2014-0234-0070

4-Apr-14

98

ROBERTSON

Robertson

Colin

2014-0360

2014-0234-0071

4-Apr-14

99

SANTI

Santi

Gino

2013-1139

2013-0234-0099

16-Jun-13

100

WYSE

Wyse

Robert

2013-0972

2013-0234-0072

4-Jun-13

101

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-0046

2013-0234-0028

1-Mar-13

102

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-0976

2013-0234-0066

3-Jun-13

103

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-1123

2013-0234-0083

14-Jun-13

104

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-1137

2013-0234-0097

17-Jun-13

105

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-1432

2013-0234-0123

30-Jun-13

106

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-1433

2013-0234-0124

29-Jun-13

107

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-1434

2013-0234-0125

9-Jul-13

108

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-1435

2013-0234-0126

8-Jul-13

109

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2045

2013-0234-0311

11-Aug-13

110

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2046

2013-0234-0312

10-Aug-13

111

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2215

2013-0234-0316

24-Aug-13

112

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2216

2013-0234-0317

24-Aug-13

113

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2217

2013-0234-0318

24-Aug-13

114

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2762

2013-0234-0330

4-Oct-13

115

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2763

2013-0234-0331

4-Oct-13

116

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2764

2013-0234-0332

4-Oct-13

117

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2858

2013-0234-0341

3-Nov-13

118

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2859

2013-0234-0342

1-Nov-13

119

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2860

2013-0234-0343

1-Nov-13

120

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-2861

2013-0234-0344

3-Nov-13

121

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3031

2013-0234-0348

5-Nov-13

122

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3170

2013-0234-0353

6-Nov-13

123

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3171

2013-0234-0354

11-Nov-13

124

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3172

2013-0234-0355

12-Nov-13

125

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3173

2013-0234-0356

13-Nov-13

126

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3174

2013-0234-0357

14-Nov-13

127

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3175

2013-0234-0358

15-Nov-13

128

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3326

2013-0234-0365

27-Nov-13

129

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3327

2013-0234-0366

29-Nov-13

130

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3328

2013-0234-0367

5-Dec-13

131

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3329

2013-0234-0368

6-Dec-13

132

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3547

2013-0234-0385

19-Dec-13

133

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3600

2013-0234-0386

23-Dec-13

134

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0509

2013-0234-0407

13-Dec-13

135

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0510

2013-0234-0408

14-Dec-13

136

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3601

2014-0234-0002

6-Jan-14

137

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3602

2014-0234-0003

7-Jan-14

138

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3603

2014-0234-0004

8-Jan-14

139

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3604

2014-0234-0005

9-Jan-14

140

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-3605

2014-0234-0006

10-Jan-14

141

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-4447

2014-0234-0041

16-Jan-14

142

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-4448

2014-0234-0042

15-Feb-14

143

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-4449

2014-0234-0043

16-Feb-14

144

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-4450

2014-0234-0044

20-Feb-14

145

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-4451

2014-0234-0045

24-Feb-14

146

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-4452

2014-0234-0046

1-Mar-14

147

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-4453

2014-0234-0047

2-Mar-14

148

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-4454

2014-0234-0048

5-Mar-14

149

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-4455

2014-0234-0049

15-Mar-14

150

YOLE

Yole

William

2013-4456

2014-0234-0050

16-Mar-14

151

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0364

2014-0234-0075

4-Apr-14

152

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0365

2014-0234-0076

5-Apr-14

153

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0366

2014-0234-0077

6-Apr-14

154

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0367

2014-0234-0078

7-Apr-14

155

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0368

2014-0234-0079

10-Mar-14

156

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0369

2014-0234-0080

17-Mar-14

157

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0370

2014-0234-0081

17-Mar-14

158

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0371

2014-0234-0082

18-Mar-14

159

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0372

2014-0234-0083

18-Mar-14

160

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0373

2014-0234-0084

20-Mar-14

161

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0374

2014-0234-0085

20-Mar-14

162

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0375

2014-0234-0086

21-Mar-14

163

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0376

2014-0234-0087

21-Mar-14

164

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0615

2014-0234-0108

19-Apr-14

165

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0616

2014-0234-0109

20-Apr-14

166

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0617

2014-0234-0110

25-Apr-14

167

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0618

2014-0234-0111

26-Apr-14

168

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-0619

2014-0234-0112

28-Apr-14

169

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-1713

2014-0234-0270

26-May-14

170

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-1714

2014-0234-0271

27-May-14

171

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-1715

2014-0234-0272

28-May-14

172

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-1716

2014-0234-0273

30-May-14

173

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-1717

2014-0234-0274

31-May-14

174

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-1718

2014-0234-0275

2-Jun-14

175

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-1719

2014-0234-0276

1-Jun-14

176

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-3054

2014-0234-0425

8-Aug-14

177

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-3055

2014-0234-0426

9-Aug-14

178

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-3056

2014-0234-0427

10-Aug-14

179

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-3057

2014-0234-0428

22-Aug-14

180

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-3058

2014-0234-0429

20-Sep-14

181

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-3059

2014-0234-0430

21-Sep-14

182

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-3415

2014-0234-0469

27-Oct-14

183

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-3417

2014-0234-0471

28-Oct-14

184

YOLE

Yole

William

2014-3418

2014-0234-0472

29-Oct-14

185

YOUNG

Young

Susan

2013-1122

2013-0234-0082

14-Jun-13