Eastern Provincial Airways Ltd v Canadian Air Line Employees Assn

Document Type

Arbitration Decision

Publication Date

1-17-1984

Keywords

Adjournment, Costs, Reassignment, Lay Off, Collective Agreement, Telecommunications, Good Faith

Abstract

There were two aspects to this grievance. (a) Prior to the formal hearing, the Employer requested and received an adjournment due to conflicting appointments and unavailability of a chief witness. The Union claimed it was entitled to counsel fees, lost employee wages, and their travel expenses. The Employer agreed only to pay the Arbitrator's fees and expenses for the wasted day. (b) The Employer reassigned certain functions which had been performed by telecommunications agents, with the result that 4 out of 5 agents were laid off. The Union grieved that the work of the agents laid off had been reassigned contrary to the Collective Agreement. The Union also argued that the Employer was in breach of a letter of understanding which stipulated that one of the two locations at Gander is the telecommunications office. There were 3 aspects of work alleged to have been reassigned: (1) certain telecommunications operations were now carried out by dispatchers in another bargaining unit; (2) the meal ordering function was now carried out by customer sales agents in the same bargaining unit; and (3) non bargaining unit employees were sending administrative communications outside of the remaining agents' working hours. The Employer argued that the reduction of agents and reassignment of their duties was done for economic reasons and in good faith.

Comments

Summary available only on CanLii.

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