City reaches agreement with 8 supervisors in roads scandal

The city has reached an agreement with eight supervisors who were suspended in a sweeping roads work investigation involving nearly 50 employees.

The city and CUPE 1041 were due to go before an arbitrator this year. But while they were waiting for a date, the two sides reached an agreement.

The details are confidential, so neither the city nor the union would say whether suspensions were rescinded or an award was granted. They also wouldn't elaborate on how exactly the agreement was reached.

"Now we take our learnings and move forward, and become a more cohesive and productive organization," said Lora Fontana, the city's director of employee health and labour relations.

The deal marks the final step in a grievance process that involved two unions and 33 workers, and a case that has dogged the city for two years.

The case stems from a 2013 investigation that saw the city use GPS and video surveillance to monitor its workers. The city fired 30 front-line workers for time theft and breach of trust, and questioned some about missing asphalt. It also investigated 15 supervisors and three superintendents.

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The city hired back some of the front-line workers, leaving CUPE 5167 to grieve 21 firings and four suspensions. Earlier this year, arbitrator Lorne Slotnick ruled that nine workers be hired back with no back pay, and be probationary employees for two years. He also ruled that five be reinstated with some back pay, and that six employees remain terminated.

In his ruling, Slotnick said he didn't advocate some of the employee behaviours, but that it was seen as acceptable because of a "culture of low expectations."

Of the 15 supervisors investigated, four have retired, one resigned, eight were suspended, one received written discipline and one received no discipline. Eight of those cases are involved in the confidential settlement.

The city investigated three superintendents, but none were disciplined. One retired, one still works in the roads division and one has moved on to a more senior position.

The city has put increased emphasis on its workplace culture since, including training for managers. In the roads department, it surveyed its workers, who reported low morale, among other issues.

The city will use those results over the next few months in an attempt to improve the culture of the roads department. But as a result of the survey, city council recently approved a moratorium on surveys without a proven margin of error.