DocketNumber: Nos. CV95-0378164-S, CV95-0377944-S
Citation Numbers: 1995 Conn. Super. Ct. 14170
Judges: HODGSON, JUDGE.
Filed Date: 12/18/1995
Status: Non-Precedential
Modified Date: 4/18/2021
One of the grounds raised by the Town of Wallingford ("town") for vacating the award is the claim that the arbitrator relied on regulations or standards that were not introduced into evidence at the arbitration hearing. The court, Booth, J., permitted an evidentiary hearing on that issue, and this court heard evidence on October 4, 1995. The parties then sought, and the court granted, extensions of time to submit briefs, and the issues have now been fully briefed and argued.
Procedural History
On November 23, 1993, Local 1570, Council #15, AFSCME, ("union") submitted a grievance on behalf of a probationary police officer, Philip Nickerson, claiming that the town had terminated his employment for "capricious reasons". The Town claimed that grievances filed on behalf of probationary employees such as Mr. Nickerson were not subject to the arbitration provisions of the collective bargaining agreement applicable to police officers. The Town identified as the reason for termination of this probationary employee his behavior in several incidents in which his superiors believed that he had overreacted and/or used excessive force.
Upon the demand of the union, the American Arbitration Association, which was specified in the collective bargaining agreement as the administrator of arbitrable grievances arising out of that agreement, convened an arbitration proceeding. The arbitrator was Albert G. Murphy. At that proceeding, the town stated its position that any grievance filed on behalf of Mr. Nickerson was not subject to the grievance procedure, including the step of that procedure providing for arbitration, because the collective bargaining agreement provides, at Article 16, Section 2, as follows:
The union shall have the right to question the propriety of any such disciplinary action or discharge through the grievance procedure herein outlined, including arbitration, except for termination of probationary employees which is not subject to the grievance and arbitration provisions of this Agreement. Probationary employees shall not be terminated for capricious reasons. [emphasis supplied] CT Page 14172
The parties asked the arbitrator to make a separate and specific finding on the issue of arbitrability of the dispute.
The arbitrator ruled that the grievance brought by the union on behalf of Mr. Nickerson was arbitrable and then found for the grievant on the merits of the claim that the police department's reasons for terminating the probationary officer were "capricious".
Scope of Review
The union claims that review by the Superior Court of an arbitrator's determination that a dispute is arbitrable is limited to a determination whether the award conforms to the submission. The town takes the position that the court's review, where the issue of arbitrability has been preserved and not waived at the arbitration, is governed by General Statutes §
Upon application of any party to an arbitration, the superior court . . . shall make an order vacating the award if it finds any of the following defects . . . (4) if the arbitrators have exceeded their powers or so imperfectly executed them that a mutual, final and definite award upon the subject matter submitted was not made.
This court finds that the issue is governed by the principles set forth in White v. Kampner,
The Connecticut Supreme Court reversed the Appellate Court, noting that where a party raises the threshold issue of arbitrability at the arbitration, thereby preserving the issue and not waiving it, "[i]n such cases a court, on a motion to CT Page 14173 vacate, may properly entertain a challenge to an award alleging disregard of the limits in the parties' agreement with respect to arbitration." White v. Kampner,
[t]hus, the mere conformity of the submission to the award does not foreclose the court from reviewing whether that award is in violation of the parties' agreement.
White v. Kampner,
Discussion
At the arbitration hearing, the town very clearly objected to arbitration of the dispute at issue on the ground that the collective bargaining agreement expressly excluded from the scope of arbitrable grievances those grievances concerning termination of police officers who had not completed their probationary period. The issue of arbitrability was made a separate, preliminary issue at the arbitration. This court finds that the issue of arbitrability was not waived and that this court must therefore; determine whether the arbitrator acted beyond his authority, such that the award should be vacated pursuant to General Statutes §
The collective bargaining agreement, at Article 16, Section 2, clearly and unmistakably provided that while termination or disciplinary sanctions as to non-probationary members of the bargaining unit could be pursued through all steps of the grievance procedure, including arbitration, the issue of termination of probationary employees "is not subject to the grievance and arbitration procedures of this Agreement." The arbitrator reasoned that because the Town also agreed not to CT Page 14174 terminate probationary employees for "capricious reasons" it must have meant to agree to arbitration of claims of violation of that provision. Such a construction ignores the express language of the contract to the contrary, and imposes on the Town an obligation directly contrary to the bargained-for exclusion. There is nothing ambiguous in the exclusionary language cited above, nor does the provision prohibiting "capricious" termination necessitate a "construction" of the exclusion that negates its plain words. An employer may certainly agree not to act capriciously without also agreeing to a particular procedure for enforcement of that agreement, leaving a party who believes the agreement has been violated to resort to such other means of enforcement as may be available.
Unless statutorily mandated, arbitration is a creature of contract. John A. Errichietti Associates v. Boutin,
The plain language of Article 16, § 2, cited above, indicates that disputes over the termination of probationary employees were not either grievable or arbitrable. In deciding to the contrary, the arbitrator failed to give effect to contract language so clear that it cannot even be said to be within the "grey area" subject to the "positive assurance test". See Whitev. Kampner,
The Appellate Court has had occasion to decide issues of arbitrability since the reversal of its ruling in White v.Kampner. In Metropolitan District Commission v. AFSCME, Council4, Local 3713,
As the Supreme Court stated in White v. Kampner,
[Furthermore,] we construe a contract as a whole and all relevant provisions as considered when determining the intent of the parties. Id, citing Bialowans v. Minor,
209 Conn. 212 ,217 (1988).
The Supreme Court quite clearly ruled that when the issue presented is whether the arbitrator was indeed contractually empowered to arbitrate or whether the contract language specifically expresses an intent to make arbitrable only a particular category of disputes, and not others, the arbitrator's conclusion is reviewable by the court on the basis of the contract language. White v. Kampner,
As the Supreme Court noted, White v. Kampner,
Under these circumstances, we held that the defendant did not waive consideration of the issue of arbitrability by the trial court.
White v. Kampner,
To view the submission of the issue of arbitrability to an arbitrator as a waiver of the contractual limitation on the scope of arbitration in the face of a clear objection and contract language excluding arbitration for certain disputes would be to impose on the parties a different contract than the one they made. The appellate courts have repeatedly recognized that CT Page 14176 parties cannot be forced to accept an arbitration's ruling as to disputes they have not agreed to have decided by arbitration.Bennett v. Meader,
Conclusion
In finding the dispute arbitrable, the arbitrator required the parties to arbitrate a dispute outside the bounds of their agreement to arbitrate. The arbitrator's ruling is invalid pursuant to General Statutes §
Beverly J. Hodgson Judge of the Superior Court
Schwarzschild v. Martin , 191 Conn. 316 ( 1983 )
City of New Britain v. Connecticut State Board of Mediation ... , 178 Conn. 557 ( 1979 )
John A. Errichetti Associates v. Boutin , 183 Conn. 481 ( 1981 )
E & F CONSTRUCTION CO. v. Rissil Construction Associates, ... , 181 Conn. 317 ( 1980 )
Marsala v. Valve Corporation of America , 157 Conn. 362 ( 1969 )
United Steelworkers v. Warrior & Gulf Navigation Co. , 80 S. Ct. 1347 ( 1960 )