Sunday, September 25, 2016

Quick Hits - Retiree health, Military leave, Teacher tenure, In the news

Honeywell not obligated to arbitrate termination of retiree health benefits

After Honeywell announced that it would terminate retired employees medical and prescription drug coverage, a group of retirees filed a multi-count complaint challenging that action. One of the counts sought to compel Honeywell to arbitrate their claim that the Company's action breached the applicable cba. The District Court for the Southern District of Ohio rejected this claim. It noted that the cba limited arbitration to disputes between the Company and the Union, not individual retirees. It also rejected plaintiffs claim that they were entitled to arbitrate the issue as third part beneficiaries to the contract, finding that to the extent that Plaintiffs are seeking to enforce promised made in  the CBA, they are bound by all of its terms, including the scope of the arbitration provisions. Fletcher et al v. Honeywell International, Inc.

Military leave, past practice and arbitrability

The Ohio Court of Appeals, reversing a lower court decision, found that an arbitrator did not exceed his authority when he concluded that the State breached its cba by unilaterally ceasing payment for travel and rest time related to military leave. The lower court found that the cba did not contain a definition of military leave and concluded that the arbitrator had exceeded his authority by independendly construing the term. The Court of Appeals, however, concluded that the arbitrator was authorized to interpreted that term as used in the cba in light of the past practice of the parties. State of Ohio v. Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, Local 11 AFSCME

Unsworn student statements, without testimony, insufficient to support teacher tenure charges

Arbitrator Edmund Gerber rejected teacher tenure charges accusing a teacher of improperly providing answers during a student assessment test. The Schools District's evidence consisted of the unsworn statements of 27 students, none of whom were called to testify. Arbitrator Gerber dismissed the charges at the conclusion of the School District's case, finding that this hearsay evidence was insufficient to support the charges. In the Matter of the tenure hearing of Michelle Gates, State-Operated School District of the City of Paterson

Labor Arbitration in the news 

Arbitrator rules Buffalo School Board can’t get rid of cosmetic surgery rider without negotiations

North Jersey teacher should be fired for bullying students, arbitrator rules

NALC: National-level arbitration case decided on ‘Work and Time Standards Video Recording’

Judge orders ex-cop's reinstatement

Arbitrator Rules Against Itasca County Sheriff's Department


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