The union that represents the Ontario NDP’s office staff is accusing the party of playing “cynical” politics for waiting until after the provincial election to punish three employees who filed human rights grievances against two of its Hamilton MPPs.
The Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) took the labour dispute public in a Sept. 4 media release, alleging the NDP broke a deal to put the grievances on hold until after the June 7 vote and then have them arbitrated as quickly as possible.
COPE said the party instead showed it has “no real commitment to workers’ rights” by firing Todd White, who is chair of the Hamilton public school board and on parental leave from his part-time job as a constituency assistant to Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MPP Paul Miller.
The NDP also stopped paying Sandra Troulinos and Alissa Watt, constituency office assistants to Hamilton Mountain MPP Monique Taylor, who have been on administrative leave since filing grievances against her, the union said.
All three employees have filed separate complaints to Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal.
Union representative Dave Rosborough said COPE kept its part of the pre-election bargain by declining to comment on the disputes when contacted by the media, but is now going public given the recent disciplinary actions.
He called firing White, who started a 63-week parental leave in March, “a fairly excessive measure.”
“We are, to be honest with you, shocked that they’ve decided to terminate him while he’s on that parental leave, cut off his pay and benefits in the middle of the summer when realistically nothing’s been happening,” Rosborough said.
The NDP Caucus, which is the legal employer for the three affected employees, responded via a statement from its lawyer that called the union’s media release “factually incorrect and intentionally misleading.”
NDP lawyer Meg Atkinson said COPE provided a draft of the release to the party beforehand and offered to not issue it if the employees’ pay was reinstated, but the caucus “refused to capitulate.”
“The NDP Caucus maintains that it has not violated the collective agreement or any other law, and has always been prepared to follow the agreed-to process of grievances and labour arbitration under the collective agreement with COPE to resolve workplace disputes,” the statement said.
White declined to comment, but the Hamilton lawyer representing him on the complaint against Miller to Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal issued a statement on his behalf.
Wade Poziomka said White’s dismissal would violate Ontario’s human rights code if done in retaliation for his filing a complaint to the tribunal.
The lawyer offered portions of an Aug. 20 dismissal letter from Miller in which the MPP accused White of having “orchestrated a public media campaign against me, based on false, misleading and highly offensive allegations.”
Poziomka said White disclosed legal documents related to his human rights complaint to the media upon request because as school board chair he “understands and appreciates the importance of openness and transparency, especially in relation to elected officials.”
The lawyer said Miller’s assertion in the dismissal letter that White has caused damage to his reputation and distress to his family is “surprising” given that the MPP’s wife, Carole Paikin Miller, is running against White in Ward 5 in this fall’s municipal election.
Rosborough said the first of a number of expected arbitration dates on the grievances are scheduled for mid-September but he expects the process to be “a lengthy one.”
The union that represents the Ontario NDP’s office staff is accusing the party of playing “cynical” politics for waiting until after the provincial election to punish three employees who filed human rights grievances against two of its Hamilton MPPs.
The Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) took the labour dispute public in a Sept. 4 media release, alleging the NDP broke a deal to put the grievances on hold until after the June 7 vote and then have them arbitrated as quickly as possible.
COPE said the party instead showed it has “no real commitment to workers’ rights” by firing Todd White, who is chair of the Hamilton public school board and on parental leave from his part-time job as a constituency assistant to Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MPP Paul Miller.
The NDP also stopped paying Sandra Troulinos and Alissa Watt, constituency office assistants to Hamilton Mountain MPP Monique Taylor, who have been on administrative leave since filing grievances against her, the union said.
All three employees have filed separate complaints to Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal.
Union representative Dave Rosborough said COPE kept its part of the pre-election bargain by declining to comment on the disputes when contacted by the media, but is now going public given the recent disciplinary actions.
He called firing White, who started a 63-week parental leave in March, “a fairly excessive measure.”
“We are, to be honest with you, shocked that they’ve decided to terminate him while he’s on that parental leave, cut off his pay and benefits in the middle of the summer when realistically nothing’s been happening,” Rosborough said.
The NDP Caucus, which is the legal employer for the three affected employees, responded via a statement from its lawyer that called the union’s media release “factually incorrect and intentionally misleading.”
NDP lawyer Meg Atkinson said COPE provided a draft of the release to the party beforehand and offered to not issue it if the employees’ pay was reinstated, but the caucus “refused to capitulate.”
“The NDP Caucus maintains that it has not violated the collective agreement or any other law, and has always been prepared to follow the agreed-to process of grievances and labour arbitration under the collective agreement with COPE to resolve workplace disputes,” the statement said.
White declined to comment, but the Hamilton lawyer representing him on the complaint against Miller to Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal issued a statement on his behalf.
Wade Poziomka said White’s dismissal would violate Ontario’s human rights code if done in retaliation for his filing a complaint to the tribunal.
The lawyer offered portions of an Aug. 20 dismissal letter from Miller in which the MPP accused White of having “orchestrated a public media campaign against me, based on false, misleading and highly offensive allegations.”
Poziomka said White disclosed legal documents related to his human rights complaint to the media upon request because as school board chair he “understands and appreciates the importance of openness and transparency, especially in relation to elected officials.”
The lawyer said Miller’s assertion in the dismissal letter that White has caused damage to his reputation and distress to his family is “surprising” given that the MPP’s wife, Carole Paikin Miller, is running against White in Ward 5 in this fall’s municipal election.
Rosborough said the first of a number of expected arbitration dates on the grievances are scheduled for mid-September but he expects the process to be “a lengthy one.”
The union that represents the Ontario NDP’s office staff is accusing the party of playing “cynical” politics for waiting until after the provincial election to punish three employees who filed human rights grievances against two of its Hamilton MPPs.
The Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) took the labour dispute public in a Sept. 4 media release, alleging the NDP broke a deal to put the grievances on hold until after the June 7 vote and then have them arbitrated as quickly as possible.
COPE said the party instead showed it has “no real commitment to workers’ rights” by firing Todd White, who is chair of the Hamilton public school board and on parental leave from his part-time job as a constituency assistant to Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MPP Paul Miller.
The NDP also stopped paying Sandra Troulinos and Alissa Watt, constituency office assistants to Hamilton Mountain MPP Monique Taylor, who have been on administrative leave since filing grievances against her, the union said.
All three employees have filed separate complaints to Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal.
Union representative Dave Rosborough said COPE kept its part of the pre-election bargain by declining to comment on the disputes when contacted by the media, but is now going public given the recent disciplinary actions.
He called firing White, who started a 63-week parental leave in March, “a fairly excessive measure.”
“We are, to be honest with you, shocked that they’ve decided to terminate him while he’s on that parental leave, cut off his pay and benefits in the middle of the summer when realistically nothing’s been happening,” Rosborough said.
The NDP Caucus, which is the legal employer for the three affected employees, responded via a statement from its lawyer that called the union’s media release “factually incorrect and intentionally misleading.”
NDP lawyer Meg Atkinson said COPE provided a draft of the release to the party beforehand and offered to not issue it if the employees’ pay was reinstated, but the caucus “refused to capitulate.”
“The NDP Caucus maintains that it has not violated the collective agreement or any other law, and has always been prepared to follow the agreed-to process of grievances and labour arbitration under the collective agreement with COPE to resolve workplace disputes,” the statement said.
White declined to comment, but the Hamilton lawyer representing him on the complaint against Miller to Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal issued a statement on his behalf.
Wade Poziomka said White’s dismissal would violate Ontario’s human rights code if done in retaliation for his filing a complaint to the tribunal.
The lawyer offered portions of an Aug. 20 dismissal letter from Miller in which the MPP accused White of having “orchestrated a public media campaign against me, based on false, misleading and highly offensive allegations.”
Poziomka said White disclosed legal documents related to his human rights complaint to the media upon request because as school board chair he “understands and appreciates the importance of openness and transparency, especially in relation to elected officials.”
The lawyer said Miller’s assertion in the dismissal letter that White has caused damage to his reputation and distress to his family is “surprising” given that the MPP’s wife, Carole Paikin Miller, is running against White in Ward 5 in this fall’s municipal election.
Rosborough said the first of a number of expected arbitration dates on the grievances are scheduled for mid-September but he expects the process to be “a lengthy one.”