GSB# 2021-3633; 2021-4248
UNION# 2022-0999-0005; 2022-0999-0004
Appendix A, B and C attached
IN THE MATTER OF AN ARBITRATION
Under
THE CROWN EMPLOYEES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ACT
Before
THE GRIEVANCE SETTLEMENT BOARD
BETWEEN
Ontario Public Service Employees Union (Union)
Union
- and -
The Crown in Right of Ontario (Treasury Board Secretariat and Ministry of the Solicitor General)
Employer
BEFORE
Brian McLean
Arbitrator
FOR THE UNION
David Wright and Nancy Dhugga Ryder Wright Holmes Bryden Nam LLP Counsel
FOR THE EMPLOYER
Peter Dailleboust Treasury Board Secretariat Legal Services Branch Senior Counsel
HEARING
January 7, 2025
Decision
1This is a proceeding under Article 22.16 of the collective agreement. I have before me a number of grievances arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the employees of the Toronto South Detention Centre. A list of those grievances is set out in Appendix A to this award. In particular, among the measures taken by the Employer to reduce the spread of the virus was a requirement that employees take and submit the results of a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) prior to attending at work. By previous award, I found that employees should be paid for the time spent taking and submitting results of the RAT taken.
2The grievances before me now concern various circumstances where employees were not permitted to work because the Employer had not received a negative RAT result from employees prior to starting their shift, as was required. The parties agree that these circumstances fall into a number of categories and made their submissions on that basis.
3There is no dispute that the Employer’s pre-work testing requirement was a legitimate exercise of management rights in the furtherance of workplace (and inmate) health and safety in the unique circumstances that existed at the time. Among those unique circumstances I have considered in arriving at my decision was that employees were ultimately paid to take the RAT and submit the results. I also note that employees are expected to be ready to work at the time they are scheduled and if they are not ready the Employer may well have a disciplinary response.
4I have considered all of the information and submissions before me and come to the following conclusions and orders:
Employees must be paid for all hours actually worked;
If an employee did not submit a test result for reasons that were their own fault (for example, they forgot to take the test or submit the test results prior to attending at work) and were sent home as a result, they shall be entitled to be paid 50% of the wages they would have been paid had they been permitted to take a RAT and return to work. I am satisfied that a 50% loss of pay is an appropriate and reasonable employer response in these unique circumstances. I have attached as Appendix B to this award a list of the grievances where I am satisfied Grievors are entitled to this 50% remedy and direct the Employer to make the required payments. For clarity, where an employee refused to submit a rapid antigen test for any reason, they are not eligible for any compensation for the shift for which they were refusing.
A Grievor making a claim under paragraphs 1 and 2 must provide the information required in boxes 1 to 5 of Appendix C within 60 days of the date of this award.
If a Grievor can demonstrate that they took the test with respect to the shift grieved and attempted to submit the results of the test to the Employer in the required way, then they are entitled to be paid as if they had worked the full shift. In order to be entitled to be paid for the full shift a Grievor must provide information to demonstrate that they took the test and tried to (or did) submit the results. The information to be provided is set out in boxes 1 to 6 of Appendix C to this award. If a Grievor provides copies of the emails sent to the OPS and institutional email addresses with a copy of their negative test, they will be deemed to have provided the necessary information to be entitled to be paid as if they had worked the full shift, subject to the Employer’s ability to verify the information. Other information submitted by a Grievor will also be considered. A Grievor must submit their information to the Employer and Union within 60 days of the date of this award.
Following receipt of the information required under paragraph 3, the Employer will within 60 days advise the Grievor and the Union and its counsel whether it accepts the information and therefore whether it agrees to pay the Grievor for the shift in question. If the Employer advises the Grievor and the Union and counsel that it does not accept that the information demonstrates that the Grievor is entitled to be paid for the entire shift, I shall remain seized to determine that issue. Except in circumstances beyond the Grievors control, a failure to submit the information within the 60-day time period will result in the Grievor being paid as if they are in the same circumstances as employees in paragraph 2 above.
Dated at Toronto, Ontario this 13th day of January 2025.
Appendix A
LAST NAME
FIRST NAME
Date of Grievance
Acheampong
Agnes
2022-03-18
Adesua
Olusola Gabriel
2022-03-31
Agnello
Tania
2022-03-15
Anklesaria
Sarosh
2022-03-24
Anstett
Keith
2022-06-07
Azeem
Talha
2022-06-08
Azeem
Talha
2022-05-04
Bahadori
Brian
2022-04-28
Bastos
Marco
2022-03-04
Baumester
Brett
2022-07-12
Beals
Shirleymay
2022-03-04
Beals
Shirleymay
2022-03-04
Belfiore
Joe
2022-09-30
Bested
Nicholas
2022-09-02
Bhutia
Damdul
2022-03-20
Bradbury
Bramdon
2022-06-24
Brar
Daler
2022-05-04
Bromwich
Lauren
2022-07-26
Brown
Cornell
2022-08-19
Cannon
Ken
2022-05-16
Carnegie
Hughlaco
2022-07-18
Cassell
Shauna-Kay
2022-03-11
Cesarini
Micheal
2022-05-18
Chan
Kevin
2022-06-22
Chan
Kevin
2022-06-22
Chan
Kevin
2022-06-22
Chen
Joel
2022-09-09
Cheriakara
Joseph
2022-03-15
Collura
Carlo
2022-08-04
Collura
Carlo
2022-08-04
Collura
Karen
2022-03-16
Coombs
David
2021-11-09
Cousins
Giovanni
2022-05-26
Coutu
Charles
2022-09-06
Curran
Brian
2022-05-24
Cyr
David
2022-04-19
Dakessian
Zakary
2022-03-16
Dallimore
Philip
2022-03-29
Dalusong
Eileen
2022-03-23
De Los Santos
Neil
2022-06-07
Delpeache
Derrick
2021-11-24
Demers
Christine
2022-05-30
Dlugosz
Roman
2022-03-14
Doherty
Gregory
2022-03-23
Domingo
Ken
2022-03-25
Donald
Christopher
2022-07-13
Donald
Christopher
2022-05-16
Donald
Christopher
2022-03-10
Dukovski
Alexander
2022-03-28
Eckhardt
Scott
2022-10-04
Forde
Tiffany
2022-03-23
Frimpong
Lydia
2022-04-05
Garcia
Ron
2022-05-10
Goswell
Kevin
2022-05-30
Greaves
Michelle
2022-10-07
Green
Jason
2022-05-16
Habib
Yasser
2022-07-11
Hall
Jon
2022-03-03
Hall
Jon
2022-01-24
Halstead
Tyrone
2022-03-03
Hogg
Peter
2022-07-11
Holliday
William
2022-06-28
Hylands
Richards
2022-08-19
Hyun
Soo
2022-03-21
Irons
Lesline
2022-09-02
Irons
Lesline
2022-05-31
Jacak
Arthur
2022-04-01
Jacob
Thomas
2022-03-23
Jordan
Patricia
2022-09-02
Kanagalingam
Sajeethan
2022-06-22
Kanagalingam
Sajeethan
2022-05-10
Knight
Sheldon
2022-08-11
Kollamparampil
Abhilesh
2022-06-08
Kollamparampil
Abhilesh
2022-05-04
Kroher
Angela
2022-05-11
Kucherepa
Rostyslav
2022-03-28
Kularatnam
Suren
2022-07-26
Kularatnam
Suren
2022-07-26
Kularatnam
Suren
2022-07-26
Lam
Leon
2022-03-15
Larson
Trevor
2022-07-22
Larson
Trevor
2022-07-22
Larson
Trevor
2022-07-22
Latkiewicz
Ewelina
2021-11-12
Latty
Yvonne
2022-06-08
Leu
Simone
2022-03-28
Lo
Calvin
2022-09-22
Logan
Jamal
2022-07-28
Loparco
Rosa
2022-03-02
Maccarone
Paige
2022-03-28
Madden
John
2022-07-12
Madden
John
2022-07-12
Makwaira
Takudzwa
2022-04-05
Malhotra
Deepak
2022-03-24
Manna
Gisele
2022-03-25
Mansueto
Jahdiel
2022-07-28
Maramba
Charles
2022-04-05
Mariano
Romeo
2022-04-05
McCrimmon
Robert
2022-03-29
McCrimmon
Robert
2022-10-07
McCrimmon
Robert
2022-04-20
McFadgen
Patricia
2022-05-16
McFadgen
Patricia
2022-06-22
McGregor
Matthew
2022-06-29
McKinley
Lucas
2022-07-11
McKinley
Lucas
2022-06-24
McKinley
Lucas
2022-03-10
McWilliams
Stephen
2022-03-11
Mensa-Dankwa
Samuel
2022-03-02
Meytina
Elvira
2021-11-18
Miranda
Patrick
2022-02-28
Morris
Everton
2022-03-21
Mossad
Kareem
2022-04-13
Mossad
Kareem
2022-04-13
Moulton
Dexter
2022-03-07
Murray
Christopher
2022-10-17
Nguyen
Peter
2022-03-01
Oludare
Kunle (Isaac)
2022-08-11
Osei
Jessica
2022-04-20
Palmer
Dwayne
2022-03-14
Perez
Juan
2022-04-22
Pervez
Adil
2022-04-05
Preston
Jeremy
2022-06-29
Puckerin
Richard
2022-06-08
Pullemkannappallil
Aby Thomas
2022-06-24
Qadeer
Mohammed
2022-03-25
Rajkumar
Marsha
2021-12-15
Rajkumar
Marsha
2022-03-07
Rajkumar
Marsha
2022-03-07
Rajkumar
Marsha
2022-03-07
Rajkumar
Marsha
2022-05-31
Rampraasad
Shivanand
2022-04-28
Rawlins
Jasmine
2021-11-10
Richards
Aaron
2022-06-07
Ridd
Eric
2022-09-02
Romans
Catherine
2021-11-29
Rudder
Kassandra
2021-11-24
Rynkiewicz
Maciej
2022-03-22
Sabando
Gian
2022-04-19
Saini
Kulvir
2022-03-25
Saleh
Mariam
2022-08-11
Saleh
Mariam
2022-07-11
Sandhar
Rajdeep
2022-09-27
Sandhu
Sukhjit
2022-08-16
Sandhu
Sukhjit
2022-09-20
Sekhon
Gurkeerat
2022-03-15
Sheon
Eric
2022-03-24
Sian
Giada
2022-03-26
Singh
Jeevanjot
2022-09-06
Singleton
Samantha
2022-04-27
Smith
Leighton
2022-03-26
Snow
Connie
2022-07-11
Stephens
Jeffery
2022-06-16
Stephenson
Ryan
2022-07-11
Sunmola
Margaret
2022-03-21
Szymczak
Adam
2021-12-21
Thiru
Suba
2022-03-28
Thomas
Carla
2022-03-01
Thompson
Denise
2022-03-14
Thompson
Denise
2022-03-25
Tobiasz
Catherine
2022-03-10
Toko
Willy
2022-08-12
Tong
Aaron
2022-03-24
Tovilo
Kreso
2022-07-04
Tovilo
Kreso
2022-05-05
Tovilo
Kreso
2022-05-30
Trzaska
Micheal
2022-03-29
Turner
Steven
2022-08-11
Ubhi
Preetkaran
2022-03-22
Valentino
Nick
2022-03-23
Vazhayil Abraham
Biji
2022-03-16
Vinslovas
Frank
2022-06-16
Virk
Balraj
2022-08-11
Walker
Wilburt
2022-08-29
Walsh
James
2022-07-22
Whyte
Jesse
2022-07-11
Wilson
Shantino
2022-08-24
Wojewodka
Diana
2022-05-31
Wright
Jonathan
2022-07-22
Zhanshan
Du
2022-07-11
Zuk
Martin
2022-05-26
Appendix B
LAST NAME
FIRST NAME
Date of Grievance
Anklesaria
Sarosh
2022-03-24
Bahadori
Brian
2022-04-28
Baumester
Brett
2022-07-12
Brown
Cornell
2022-08-19
Cannon
Ken
2022-05-16
Chen
Joel
2022-09-09
Cousins
Giovanni
2022-05-26
Curran
Brian
2022-05-24
De Los Santos
Neil
2022-06-07
Demers
Christine
2022-05-30
Donald
Christopher
2022-05-16
Zhanshan
Du
2022-07-11
Forde
Tiffany
2022-03-23
Green
Jason
2022-05-16
Hogg
Peter
2022-07-11
Jordan
Patricia
2022-09-02
Kollamparampil
Abhilesh
2022-05-04
Larson
Trevor
2022-07-22
Larson
Trevor
2022-07-22
Larson
Trevor
2022-07-22
Latty
Yvonne
2022-06-08
Logan
Jamal
2022-07-28
McFadgen
Patricia
2022-05-16
McFadgen
Patricia
2022-06-22
McKinley
Lucas
2022-06-24
Oludare
Kunle (Isaac)
2022-08-11
Osei
Jessica
2022-04-20
Pullemkannappallil
Aby Thomas
2022-06-24
Ridd
Eric
2022-09-02
Saleh
Mariam
2022-08-11
Saleh
Mariam
2022-07-11
Snow
Connie
2022-07-11
Stephenson
Ryan
2022-07-11
Tong
Aaron
2022-03-24
Tovilo
Kreso
2022-05-30
Walsh
James
2022-07-22
Whyte
Jesse
2022-07-11
Zuk
Martin
2022-05-26
Appendix C
The following information must be provided by March 14, 2025 to:
Employer name and email: John McKinnon – john.mckinnon@ontario.ca
Union name and email: Nancy Dhugga – ndhugga@ryderwright.ca
Name of Grievor
Date of Grievance
Date of Violation
What hours did you work on the date?
Were you not paid for any of these hours?
Were you sent home without pay on the date?
What hours were not paid on the date?
Who is the manager who sent you home?
Was there any technological problem in submitting the rapid antigen test results for this date? If so explain.
Attach any relevant documentation. This may include emails with management, emails or screenshots supporting you completed the test