British Columbia Ferry and Marine Workers' Union v. British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. et al., 2013 BCCA 497

• Judge: Saunders, Frankel and D. Smith, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Case Date: November 20, 2013
• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Citations: 2013 BCCA 497;(2013), 346 B.C.A.C. 265 (CA)

BCFMWU v. B.C. Ferry (2013), 346 B.C.A.C. 265 (CA);

    592 W.A.C. 265

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2013] B.C.A.C. TBEd. NO.035

British Columbia Ferry and Marine Workers' Union (appellant/petitioner) v. British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. (respondent/respondent)

(CA038486)

British Columbia Ferry and Marine Worker's Union (appellant/petitioner) v. British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. (respondent/respondent) and British Columbia Labour Relations Board (respondent/respondent)

(CA039980; 2013 BCCA 497)

Indexed As: British Columbia Ferry and Marine Workers' Union v. British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. et al.

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Saunders, Frankel and D. Smith, JJ.A.

November 20, 2013.

Summary:

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. made a request of the British Columbia Ferry and Marine Workers' Union that certain workers be excluded from the bargaining unit. The Union did not agree. The issue was placed before an arbitrator. The arbitrator issued an award finding that approximately 161 persons, being Masters (on all but minor vessels), Senior Chief Engineers, Chief Engineers, Senior Chief Stewards or Chief Stewards, were excluded by virtue of their managerial functions. The Union applied to the Labour Relations Board for review of the arbitration award pursuant to s. 99 of the Labour Relations Code. Upon rejection of the application, the Union applied to the Board for reconsideration of its decision under s. 141 of the Code. The Board dismissed the s. 141 application. The Union applied for judicial review of the Board's reconsideration decision and also challenged the Board's decision issued under s. 99.

The British Columbia Supreme Court (Smith, J.), in a decision reported at [2012] B.C.T.C. Uned. 663, dismissed the petition for judicial review. The Union appealed from Smith J.'s decision. The Union also appealed from the arbitrator's arbitration award under s. 100 of the Labour Relations Code, saying that the award raised a question of general law in that it denied the affected workers freedom to associate guaranteed by s. 2(d) of the Charter.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the s. 100 appeal. It was not open to the Union to raise s. 2(d) of the Charter in this court, having failed to fully pursue it at arbitration. Further, the matter was one within s. 99(1) of the Code and the court therefore lacked jurisdiction to hear the appeal under s. 100 of the Code. The court also dismissed the appeal from the decision of Smith, J., on the judicial review. The court stated that although it was the Board's s. 141 reconsideration decision that had generated the petition for judicial review, that did not mean that the Board's s. 99 decision could not be the focus of the review where, as here, the s. 141 decision was brief. The judge was correct in finding that the Board's decisions were not patently unreasonable.

Civil Rights - Topic 8584

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Practice - Time for raising Charter issues - See paragraphs 23 to 26 and 46.

Courts - Topic 8684

Provincial courts - British Columbia - Court of Appeal - Labour law - See paragraphs 27 to 33.

Labour Law - Topic 438

Labour relations boards and judicial review - Boards - Jurisdiction - Provincial boards - See paragraphs 27 to 33.

Labour Law - Topic 575

Labour relations boards - Judicial review - General - See paragraphs to 34 to 42.

Labour Law - Topic 604

Labour relations boards and judicial review - Judicial review - Jurisdiction - Provincial boards - Whether decision patently unreasonable - See paragraphs 43 to 63.

Labour Law - Topic 834

Labour relations boards and judicial review - Procedure - Decision - Reconsideration of - See paragraphs to 34 to 42.

Labour Law - Topic 4161

Unions - Certification - Appropriate bargaining unit - Exclusions - Managerial - See paragraphs 43 to 63.

Cases Noticed:

Automatic Electric (Canada) Ltd. v. British Columbia Federation of Telephone Workers, [1976] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 26, refd to. [para. 3].

Burnaby (District) v. Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 23, [1974] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 1; [1974] 1 Can. L.R.B.R. 1, refd to. [para. 10].

Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Inc., Re, [2010] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 81; 179 Can. L.R.B.R.(2d) 134, refd to. [para. 11].

Reference Re Compulsory Arbitration, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 313; 74 N.R. 99; 78 A.R. 1; 38 D.L.R.(4th) 161, refd to. [para. 18].

Reference Re Public Service Employee Relations Act (Alta.) - see Reference Re Compulsory Arbitration.

Public Service Alliance of Canada v. Canada, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 424; 75 N.R. 161; 38 D.L.R.(4th) 249, refd to. [para. 18].

Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union, Locals 544, 496, 635 and 955 et al. v. Saskatchewan et al., [1987] 1 S.C.R. 460; 74 N.R. 321; 56 Sask.R. 277; 38 D.L.R.(4th) 277, refd to. [para. 18].

Dunmore et al. v. Ontario (Attorney General) et al., [2001] 3 S.C.R. 1016; 279 N.R. 201; 154 O.A.C. 201; 2001 SCC 94, refd to. [para. 18].

Health Services and Support - Facilities Subsector Bargaining Association et al. v. British Columbia, [2007] 2 S.C.R. 391; 363 N.R. 226; 242 B.C.A.C. 1; 400 W.A.C. 1; 2007 SCC 27, refd to. [para. 18].

Fraser et al. v. Ontario (Attorney General), [2011] 2 S.C.R. 3; 415 N.R. 200; 275 O.A.C. 205; 2011 SCC 20, refd to. [para. 18].

R. v. Oakes, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 103; 65 N.R. 87; 14 O.A.C. 335; 26 D.L.R.(4th) 200, refd to. [para. 18].

University of British Columbia v. University of British Columbia Faculty Association et al. (2007), 239 B.C.A.C. 181; 396 W.A.C. 181; 278 D.L.R.(4th) 445; 2007 BCCA 201, refd to. [para. 18].

Davidson v. Slaight Communications Inc., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1038; 93 N.R. 183; 59 D.L.R.(4th) 416, refd to. [para. 19].

R. v. Conway (P.), [2010] 1 S.C.R. 765; 402 N.R. 255; 263 O.A.C. 61; 2010 SCC 22, refd to. [para. 19].

Eldridge et al. v. British Columbia (Attorney General) et al., [1997] 3 S.C.R. 624; 218 N.R. 161; 96 B.C.A.C. 81; 155 W.A.C. 81, 151 D.L.R.(4th) 577, refd to. [para. 19].

Blencoe v. Human Rights Commission (B.C.) et al., [2000] 2 S.C.R. 307; 260 N.R. 1; 141 B.C.A.C. 161; 231 W.A.C. 161; 2000 SCC 44, refd to. [para. 19].

Lavigne v. Ontario Public Service Employees' Union et al., [1991] 2 S.C.R. 211; 126 N.R. 161; 48 O.A.C. 241; 81 D.L.R.(4th) 545, refd to. [para. 19].

Singh v. British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (2001), 161 B.C.A.C. 53; 263 W.A.C. 53; 95 B.C.L.R.(3d) 238; 2001 BCCA 695, refd to. [para. 25].

Pemberton Waterfront Projects Group Inc. v. North Vancouver (District), [1987] B.C.J. No. 1925 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 25].

Martin-Brower of Canada Ltd. v. General Truck Drivers and Helpers Union, Local 31 (1994), 112 D.L.R.(4th) 191; 87 B.C.L.R.(2d) 292 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].

Communications, Energy and Paperworkers' Union of Canada, Local 433 v. Unisource Canada Inc. (2004), 199 B.C.A.C. 153; 326 W.A.C. 153; 242 D.L.R.(4th) 540; 2004 BCCA 351, refd to. [para. 29].

British Columbia Public School Employers' Association et al. v. British Columbia Teachers' Federation et al. (2005), 215 B.C.A.C. 238; 355 W.A.C. 238; 43 B.C.L.R.(4th) 203; 2005 BCCA 411, refd to. [para. 29].

Health Employers Association of British Columbia v. British Columbia Nurses' Union (2005), 214 B.C.A.C. 66; 353 W.A.C. 66; 45 B.C.L.R.(4th) 235; 2005 BCCA 343, refd to. [para. 29].

United Steelworkers, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, Local 2009 v. Auyeung et al. (2011), 314 B.C.A.C. 172; 534 W.A.C. 172; 345 D.L.R.(4th) 630; 2011 BCCA 527, consd. [para. 37].

RG Properties, Re, [2003] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 378, refd to. [para. 38].

New Brunswick (Board of Management) v. Dunsmuir, [2008] 1 S.C.R. 190; 372 N.R. 1; 329 N.B.R.(2d) 1; 844 A.P.R. 1; 2008 SCC 9, refd to. [para. 52].

Khosa v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [2009] 1 S.C.R. 339; 385 N.R. 206; 2009 SCC 12, refd to. [para. 52].

Speckling v. Workers' Compensation Board (B.C.) et al. (2005), 209 B.C.A.C. 86; 345 W.A.C. 86; 46 B.C.L.R.(4th) 77; 2005 BCCA 80, refd to. [para. 52].

Office & Professional Employees' International Union, Local 378 v. Labour Relations Board (B.C.) (2001), 158 B.C.A.C. 1; 258 W.A.C. 1; 2001 BCCA 433, refd to. [para. 54].

British Columbia v. British Columbia Government and Services Employees' Union, [1995] B.C.L.R.B. No. B371/95; [1995] B.C.L.R.B.D. No. 355, refd to. [para. 57].

Repap Carnaby Inc., Re, [1994] B.C.L.R.B. No. B31/94; 22 Can. L.R.B.R.(2d) 100, refd to. [para. 57].

Statutes Noticed:

Labour Relations Code, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 244, sect. 99(1) [para. 16]; sect. 100 [para. 15]; sect. 141 [para. 34].

Counsel:

S. Banister, Q.C., for the appellant;

C. Leenheer and L. Poskitt, for the respondent, B.C. Ferry Services Inc.;

D.W. Garner, for the respondent, Labour Relations Board.

These appeals were heard on March 12 and 13, 2013, at Vancouver, B.C., before Saunders, Frankel and D. Smith, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. The following judgment of the Court of Appeal was delivered by Saunders, J.A., on November 20, 2013.