DATED: Dec 4, 2015
In the Matter of the Arbitration
Between
NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY
“Employer”
and
LOCAL 100, TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION
“Union”
APPEARANCES
For the Employer
Jason Scheu, Esq., Labor Attorney
Aliaa Abdelrahman, Esq., Senior Director, Labor Relations
Yvette Vargas, Senior Director, Labor Relations
John Petrak, Esq., Senior Labor Attorney
Peter Janae, Superintendent
Rohann McLaren, Maintenance Supervisor II
For the Union
Arthur Schwartz, Esq., Attorney
Jack Blazejewicz, Co-Director, Grievance & Discipline
Billy Taaffe, Vice-Chair, Structures
John Ferrari, Grievant
BEFORE: HOWARD C. EDELMAN, ESQ., ARBITRATOR
This grievance protests the Authority’s failure to assign overtime work to John Ferrari on December 12, 2014. A hearing on this matter was held before me on November 16, 2015. At its conclusion, I closed the record. This Opinion and Award follows.
The Union contends the overtime in question was not emergency work. As such, it asserts, the work force should have been canvassed for the overtime. Had the Authority done so, Ferrari would have been selected for the assignment, it insists. Thus, it asks me to sustain its claim and order the Authority to pay the Grievant for eight hours work at time and a half.
The Authority argues the work was critical. It notes that a system overhaul was needed to ensure proper heating at the Coney Island facility. Consequently, it insists, it properly permitted the individual who had done most of the work to finish it on his day off. Assigning the overtime to any other employee would have unnecessarily delayed the completion of the overhaul, the Authority maintains. Therefore, it asks me to deny the grievance.
DISCUSSION AND FINDINGS
There is no doubt the work, important as it was, did not constitute an emergency assignment. It was not performed on a continuing 24 hour basis. As such, and consistent with the parties’ prior agreement, Union members should have been canvassed to see who was willing to do the overtime.
On the other hand, the Union’s request for payment must be denied. An additional overtime opportunity is the proper remedy for this type of violation. Unless the Union can demonstrate that the Authority has repeatedly violated the agreed upon overtime procedures, no compensation is due Ferrari. Accordingly, the Union’s grievance is sustained to the extent indicated in this Opinion. It is so ordered.
AWARD
The Authority violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement by failing to properly canvass employees as to their availability to perform overtime work on December 12, 2014.
The Authority shall make available an extra overtime assignment for John Ferrari.
I, Howard C. Edelman, Esq., do hereby affirm upon my oath as Arbitrator that I am the individual described in and who executed this instrument, which is my Award.
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