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ELIMINATION OF A POSITION WAS ALLEGED TO CONSTITUTE AN IMPROPER DISMISSAL UNDER THE GUISE OF RETRENCHMENT, ALTHOUGH RETRENCHMENT IS NOT ARBITRABLE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, THE CLAIM THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS IMPROPERLY DISMISSED UNDER THE GUISE OF RETRENCHMENT WAS DEEMED ARBITRABLE (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the petition seeking a permanent stay of arbitration of an employment dispute should not have been granted. The Fourth Department found that the dispute concerned whether an employee of a community college was improperly dismissed (by eliminating the position). The matter was deemed arbitrable based upon the language of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and the grievance. Under the CBA, if a position is “retrenched” the action is not arbitrable. Although the term “retrenched” was used in eliminating the position, the grievance alleged the employee was improperly dismissed under the guise of “retrenchment:”

We … agree with respondent that the grievance, as properly construed, should be submitted to arbitration. The CBA defines “grievance,” in relevant part, as “a claimed violation, misinterpretation or inequitable application of this agreement, except as excluded herein.” Pursuant to the CBA, a grievance may be submitted to arbitration if it remains unresolved after the second stage of the grievance procedure. Although the CBA specifies several exclusions from the definition of a “grievance” that are therefore not subject to arbitration, including a decision by petitioner to retrench a position, all other grievances remain subject to arbitration. Contrary to the court’s determination, we conclude that the arbitration clause at issue here is broad, despite the existence of such exclusions … .

Where, as here, “there is a broad arbitration clause and a reasonable relationship between the subject matter of the dispute and the general subject matter of the parties’ [CBA], the court should rule the matter arbitrable, and the arbitrator will then make a more exacting interpretation of the precise scope of the substantive provisions of the [CBA], and whether the subject matter of the dispute fits within them”… . The grievance at issue concerns whether the member was improperly dismissed without just cause under the guise of retrenchment, and a reasonable relationship exists between the subject matter of the grievance and the general subject matter of the CBA … . Thus, ” it is for the arbitrator to determine whether the subject matter of the dispute falls within the scope of the arbitration provisions of the [CBA]’ ” … . Matter of Onondaga Community Coll. (Professional Adm’rs of Onondaga Community Coll. Fedn. of Teachers & Adm’rs), 2018 NY Slip Op 04878, Fourth Dept 6-29-18

​ARBITRATION (EMPLOYMENT LAW, ELIMINATION OF A POSITION WAS ALLEGED TO CONSTITUTE AN IMPROPER DISMISSAL UNDER THE GUISE OF RETRENCHMENT, ALTHOUGH RETRENCHMENT IS NOT ARBITRABLE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, THE CLAIM THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS IMPROPERLY DISMISSED UNDER THE GUISE OF RETRENCHMENT WAS DEEMED ARBITRABLE (FOURTH DEPT))/CONTRACT LAW (COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, ELIMINATION OF A POSITION WAS ALLEGED TO CONSTITUTE AN IMPROPER DISMISSAL UNDER THE GUISE OF RETRENCHMENT, ALTHOUGH RETRENCHMENT IS NOT ARBITRABLE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, THE CLAIM THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS IMPROPERLY DISMISSED UNDER THE GUISE OF RETRENCHMENT WAS DEEMED ARBITRABLE (FOURTH DEPT))/COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (ARBITRATION, ELIMINATION OF A POSITION WAS ALLEGED TO CONSTITUTE AN IMPROPER DISMISSAL UNDER THE GUISE OF RETRENCHMENT, ALTHOUGH RETRENCHMENT IS NOT ARBITRABLE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, THE CLAIM THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS IMPROPERLY DISMISSED UNDER THE GUISE OF RETRENCHMENT WAS DEEMED ARBITRABLE (FOURTH DEPT))/EMPLOYMENT LAW (ARBITRATION, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, ELIMINATION OF A POSITION WAS ALLEGED TO CONSTITUTE AN IMPROPER DISMISSAL UNDER THE GUISE OF RETRENCHMENT, ALTHOUGH RETRENCHMENT IS NOT ARBITRABLE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, THE CLAIM THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS IMPROPERLY DISMISSED UNDER THE GUISE OF RETRENCHMENT WAS DEEMED ARBITRABLE (FOURTH DEPT))

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