Government Services Union

HowtoAddressStaffingComplaints

Preface

TheinformationprovidedintheHowtoAddressStaffingComplaintsisintendedtobeareferencetoolforStewardsandLocalUnionRepresentativestoassistandprovideappropriaterepresentation.

Theseproceduresarealsoprovidedonthe PSST/PSRLB website.

Localscan alsobe assisted by utilizing copiesofthe PSACStewardHandbookwhichisavailablethroughthePSACRegionalOffices.

GSUrecognizesthevalueofeducationandbelieveshavingtrainedUnionRepresentativesattheLocalandRegionallevelswill provide itsmemberswiththebestpossiblerepresentation.

PUBLICSERVICESTAFFINGTRIBUNAL-STAFFINGCOMPLAINTS

Thefollowingguidelineswillassistmembersandunionrepresentativesinunderstandinghowtofilecomplaintsrelatedtostaffingactions. Theyreflectthespiritandintentoftheapplicablelegislatedpolicies,proceduresand/orregulationsandhavebeenpreparedforreferenceonly. ForpurposesofinterpretingandapplyingtheLaw,membersshouldconsulttheofficialpublicationsproducedbytherespectivelegislativeauthorities.

ThePublicServiceModernizationAct,2005(PSMA)significantlychangedstaffingprocessesandcomplaintproceduresrelatedtostaffingactionsthatareusedthroughoutthepublicservice. This act is also applied within the PublicServiceEmploymentAct. Both acts are what allow the PublicServiceStaffingTribunal(PSST) to function.Asaresult,allcomplaintsfiledwiththePSST havethepotentialofestablishingnewlegalprecedentthatcouldaffectourmembersinthefuture.

HowtoFileaPSSTComplaint

ThePublicServiceEmploymentAct (PSEA)whichwas amendedin2005hassignificantlylimitedthe groundsonwhichanemployeemayfileacomplaintrelatingtoastaffingaction.

Unders.77(1)ofthePSEA,theonlyreasonsforwhichapublicserviceemployeemayfileaformalstaffing"complaint"beforethe PublicServiceStaffingTribunal(PSST)areasfollows:

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ExcerptfromthePSEA:

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Groundsofcomplaint

77.(1)WhentheCommissionhasmadeorproposedanappointmentinaninternalappointmentprocess,apersonintheareaofrecoursereferredtoinsubsection(2)may--inthemannerandwithintheperiod

providedbytheTribunal'sregulations--makeacomplainttotheTribunal thatheorshewasnotappointedorproposedforappointmentbyreasonof

(a)anabuseofauthoritybytheCommissionorthedeputyheadintheexerciseofitsorhisorherauthorityundersubsection30(2);

(b)anabuseofauthoritybytheCommissioninchoosingbetweenanadvertisedandanon-advertisedinternalappointmentprocess;or

(c)thefailureoftheCommissiontoassessthecomplainantintheofficiallanguageofhisorherchoiceasrequiredbysubsection37(1).

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Staffing activities or decisions, the complainant might consider wrong or improper,should be clear and concise to identify. It is helpful to consider how those activities or decisions relate directly to one of the 5 categories of abuse noted below.

“The Tribunal also found that the five categories of abuse identified by David Philip Jones and Anne S. de Villars in Principles of Administrative Law (Toronto: Thomson Carswell, 2004) apply to all forms of discretionary administrative decisions. The five categories are:

  1. When a delegate exercises his/her/its discretion with an improper intention in mind (including acting for an unauthorized purpose, in bad faith, or on irrelevant considerations).
  2. When a delegate acts on inadequate material (including where there is no evidence, or without considering relevant matters).
  3. When there is an improper result (including unreasonable, discriminatory, or retroactive administrative actions).
  4. When the delegate exercises discretion on an erroneous view of the law.
  5. When a delegate refuses to exercise his/her/its discretion by adopting a policy which fetters the ability to consider individual cases with an open mind.”

TheFormalPSSTComplaintProcess

If,foranyofthereasons/groundscitedabove,amemberwishestoobjecttoorchallengeastaffingaction,thefollowingshallapplyi.e.

AcomplaintmustbesenttotheExecutiveDirectoroftheTribunal(PSST) inwritingnolaterthan15calendardaysafterapersonwiththerighttocomplainhasbeeninformedoftheappointmentor proposedappointment,notice of consideration,, revocation,or lay-off. Inthecaseofan internal appointmentnotice,thecomplaintmustbefiledwithin 15daysof the noticebeingissued.

APSSTComplaintmustbefiledinwriting or electronicallyandmustincludethefollowinginformation:

a.thecomplainant'sname,address, telephonenumber,faxnumberand,ifavailable,emailaddress;and

b.the mailing addressor email addressthatistobeusedforsendingdocumentstothecomplainant; and

c.the name, address, telephone number, fax number and electronic mailing address of the complainant's authorized representative, if any; and

d.thenumberoridentifier,ifany,oftheprocesstowhichthecomplaintrelates;and

e.thedateofthenoticeofthelay-off,revocation,appointmentorproposedappointmenttowhichthecomplaintrelates;and

f.thenameoftheDepartment,Agency,BranchorSectorinvolvedintheprocesstowhichthecomplaintrelates;and

g.areferencetotheprovisionofthePSEAunderwhichthecomplaintismade;and

h.afullandfactualldescriptionoftheevents,circumstancesoractionsgivingrisetothecomplaintifknownbythecomplainant;and

i.thesignatureofthecomplainantorhis/herauthorizedrepresentative;and

j.thedateofthecomplaint.

Note:Ifidentifyingtherepresentativeontheform(sectionc),pleasedonotspecify thenameofaparticularindividual.ReferonlytoGSU/PSAC.

AcomplaintmayeitherbefiledonaPSSTcomplaintformor inletterformat.AcopyofthePSSTcomplaintformcanbeaccessedonthePSSTwebsite;i.e.,

Thecomplaintmaybesentbye-mail,fax,courier,andmailordeliveredbyhand.Whenacomplaintissentbyfaxore-mail,ahardcopymustalsobemailedtotheExecutiveDirectorofthePSST;

ExecutiveDirector

Public Service Staffing Tribunal

240 Sparks Street, 6th Floor

West Ottawa, Ontario K1A OA5

Phone613-949-6516; 1-866-637-4491

Fax: (613)949-6551

Email:

Complaintssentbyfaxore-mailwillbedeemedtobereceivedonthedateonwhichtheyaretransmitted.

Complaints sent by courier or delivered by hand will be deemed to be received on the day of their delivery.Alwaysuseamethodofconveyancewhereproofofdeliverycanbeestablished.

WhatRoleShouldIPlayintheProcess?

1.TheComplainantisresponsibleforfilingthestaffingcomplaintbycompletingtheappropriateformfoundonthePSSTwebsite:

2 StaffingcomplaintsarecoveredbythePublicServiceEmploymentAct.Therefore,unliketheCollectiveAgreement,anemployeecanpursueacomplaintontheirown(attheirownexpense).

3.As mentioned previously, if a member chooses to have representation, they must inform the PSST by naming that person as their representative, in the appropriate section, on the complaint form.

4.If thelocal chooses to represent a complainant, please be advised that the PSST is not responsible for informing the local when the complaint is filed. Therefore it is prudent the local is included when filing the complaint with the PSST.

MediationorHearing

Mediationisavoluntaryandconfidentialprocessthatpromotesopenandrespectfulcommunicationandallowsthepartiesinadisputetoexploretheir interestsandconcerns,examinetheoptionsanddeveloptheirowncreativesolutionsinatimelyandcost-effectivemanner.AllcomplaintstotheTribunalwillbereferredtomediationunlessoneofthepartiesindicatesthatitdoesnotwishtoparticipateinmediation.

Therewillbesituationswheremediationisnotappropriate. Insomecases,amemberoftheTribunalmayhearthecomplaintandprovideanopportunityforthecomplainant,managerandotherpartiestopresentevidenceandarguments.Inothers,theTribunalmaychoosetorenderadecisionbasedonthewrittendocumentationsubmittedbythe

parties. Ineithercase,oncetheTribunalhasconsideredthecomplaint,itwillrenderadecisionandinformthepartiesofitsdecision.

WithdrawingaPSSTComplaint

LegalCounselatthePSACstressestheimportanceofnotgivingspecificdetailsorreasonswhenwithdrawingafilefromthePSSTappealprocess. ItisstronglyrecommendedthatthenoticetothePSSTtowithdrawacomplaintshouldindicatethewishtowithdraw. Donotincludeanyreason(s)orcommentaryinthenotice.

JudicialReview

ThedecisionsofthePSSTarefinal.However,aPSSTdecision maybejudiciallyreviewedbytheFederalCourtofCanadaifitdoesnotmeettheappropriatestandardofreviewwithrespecttothecircumstance;thetwostandardsofreviewbeingeithercorrectnessorreasonableness.

PleasecommunicatewiththeGovernment Services Unionatanytimeduringthe processshouldclarification orotherassistanceberequired.

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StaffingComplaintFileChecklist

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ATTACHMENTS

Copyofwrittenlegiblecomplaint

(Complaintformisnot obligatory)

RECEIVED

STILLOUTSTANDING

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DD

Complainant'sname,address,telephonenumber,faxnumber

and,ifavailable,electronicmailaddress;DD

Mailingaddressor electronicmailaddress thatistobeusedfor

sendingdocumentstothe complainant;DD

Name,address,telephonenumber,faxnumberandelectronic

mailaddressofthecomplainant'sauthorizedrepresentative,ifDD

any;

Numberoridentifier,ifany,oftheprocesstowhichthe

complaintrelates(list in the subject box of your complaint);DD

Dateofthenoticeofthelay-off, notice of consideration,revocation,

appointmentorproposedappointmenttowhichthecomplaint

relates; D D

Nameofthedepartmentoragency,branchorsectorinvolvedintheprocesstowhichthecomplaintrelates;

DD

Referenceto the provisionofthePSEAunderwhichthe

complaintismade;

DD

Afullfactualdescriptionoftheevents,circumstancesoractions

givingrisetothecomplaint;

DD

Signatureofthecomplainantortheirauthorizedrepresentative;

Dateofthecomplaint.DD

DD

EXPLANATIONS FORBOXESCHECKED"NO"ORCOMMENTS

(Ifinsufficientspace,pleaseattachappendix)

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