Istarlin Mohamed v. Teamsters Canada, Local 847
0379-99-U Istarlin Mohamed, Applicant v. Teamsters Canada, Local 847, Responding Party v. Goodwill Industries of Toronto, Intervenor.
BEFORE: Anthony Brown, Vice-Chair.
DECISION OF THE BOARD; December 27, 2000
1The hearing of this application was scheduled to continue on December 12, 2000. However, on that day, counsel for the responding party advised the Board that the responding party’s principal representative, Mr. Wood, had informed him that he was sick and could not attend. Counsel further advised that he had telephoned the other parties on December 11th to inform them of this development. It appears however that counsel did not have the correct telephone number of the applicant’s representative, Mr. Kopyto, who had changed his number some months previously.
2Mr. Kopyto and his client were ready to proceed on December 12, 2000 and objected to the requested adjournment.
3The Board recognizes the inconvenience and expense to the parties who attended the hearing on a day of considerable snowfall and consequent transit problems. However, “sickness” is one of the few exceptional instances in which the Board is prepared to grant an adjournment. Here, the Board granted the adjournment because Mr. Wood has been in attendance as the responding party’s principal representative (and potentially its main witness) since the commencement of the hearing and it is obviously important that he have an opportunity to be present. Counsel for the responding party undertook to ask Mr. Wood to produce for the Board a medical doctor’s note confirming that Mr. Wood was sick on December 12, 2000.
4Accordingly, the matter will resume on its next scheduled day, January 18, 2001.
“Anthony Brown”
for the Board