Biddle v. City of Dayton

548 N.E.2d 329, 48 Ohio App. 3d 116, 1988 Ohio App. LEXIS 3433
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 15, 1988
DocketCA 10819
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 548 N.E.2d 329 (Biddle v. City of Dayton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Biddle v. City of Dayton, 548 N.E.2d 329, 48 Ohio App. 3d 116, 1988 Ohio App. LEXIS 3433 (Ohio Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

Wolff, J.

Relators, April Biddle, Roger Ridgeway, and Chris Rochow, were appointed to the Dayton Police Department as recruits on August 17, 1986. They then began their training at the Dayton Police Academy. On December 11, 1986, relators were all promoted to the classification of police officer. Pursuant to the city charter, the relators were classified civil servants from the date of their initial appointment to the police academy. On or about June 2, 1987, the rélators were all discharged from the department.

On July 23, 1987, the relators filed a complaint in mandamus in the court of common pleas, seeking reinstatement to the department, back pay, benefits of office, and attorney fees. The respondent city filed a motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, a motion for summary judgment, on August 20, 1987. On January 22, 1988, the trial court issued a decision and entry sustaining the city’s motion to dismiss.

The relators have appealed, asserting the following assignments of error:

“1. The lower court erred by ruling that O.R.C. § 4117.01 et seq., the Public Employment Collective Bargaining Law, sanctions the conflict between the classified civil service probationary period articulated by the Dayton City Charter and the probationary period articulated by the Collective Bargaining Agreement existing between the City of Dayton and the F.O.P.

“2. The lower court erred in ruling that Relators have an adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law because of Relators’ purported ability to file a complaint with the State Employment Relations Board (SERB).”

This case involves the conflict between the city’s civil service laws as to probationary periods, and the probationary provisions of the city’s collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police (“FOP”). The issue is whether the city’s civil service rules, promulgated pursuant to *117 the city charter, supersede the provision of the collective bargaining agreement under the “Home Rule” provisions of the Ohio Constitution. Ohio Constitution, Section 7, Article XVIII.

The collective bargaining agreement between the city and the FOP was executed on July 7, 1986. The agreement was entered into pursuant to R.C. Chapter 4117, the Public Employees’ Collective Bargaining Act (the “Act”). The agreement provision at issue in this case is found in Section 4, Article II, which provides:

“The probationary period for employees covered hereunder consists of six (6) calendar months from the date of appointment or promotion to the classification of Police Officer. During said probationary period employees covered hereunder may be suspended, terminated, or relieved of duty without a showing of just cause. Probationary employees are entitled to sick leave, up to seven (7) calendar days of injury leave, life insurance, medical insurance and’"the accrual of vacation benefits.” (Emphasis added.)

The relevant provisions of the city’s Civil Service Rules and Regulations are contained in Sections 1 and 2 of Rule 10:

“Section 1. Initial Appointment. All persons initially appointed in the competitive or noncompetitive class shall be subject to a probationary period. This period is regarded as an integral part of the examination process and may be used to remove any employee who does not meet the required standards of professional and personal performance, with no right of appeal.

“Section 2. Length. The probationary period shall be for six (6) months following appointment. The probationary period shall be extended by the number of days during which the employee was absent without pay within his/her probationary period. A probationary employee may be discharged or reduced at any time within said period of six (6) months upon the recommendation of the director of the department or agency in which said probationer is employed, with the approval of the City Manager and the majority of the Board.”

The relators’ argument is that under the civil service rules, their probationary period began on August 17, 1986, the date of their initial appointment to the police academy as police recruits. The relators argue that their six-month probationary period therefore expired in February 1987, and that the city could not discharge them in June 1987, without the required pre-termination and post-termination hearings.

The city counters by arguing that the relators were covered by the collective bargaining agreement when they were promoted to the classification of police officer on December 11, 1986. Under the terms of the agreement, the relators were still probationary employees on June 2, 1987, and could therefore be discharged without cause.

The Ohio Public Employees’ Collective Bargaining Act was adopted by the legislature in 1984, and, for the first time, provided public employees with the right to collectively bargain concerning wages and other conditions of employment. R.C: 4117.10(A) provides, in part, that “Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code prevails over any and all other conflicting laws, resolutions, provisions, present or future, except as otherwise specified in Chapter 4117.” The same code section provides in pertinent part:

“Where no agreement exists or where an agreement makes no specification about a matter, the public employer and public employees are subject to all applicable state or local laws or ordinances pertaining to the wages, hours, and terms and condi *118 tions of employment for public employees. Laws pertaining to civil rights, affirmative action, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, the retirement of public employees, residency requirements, the minimum educational requirements contained in the Revised Code pertaining to public education * * *, and the minimum standards promulgated by the state board of education pursuant to division (D) of section 3301.07 of the Revised Code prevail over conflicting provisions of agreements between employee organizations and public employers.”

R.C. 4117.08 (subjects appropriate for collective bargaining) delineates those matters appropriate for collective bargaining:

“(A) All matters pertaining to wages, hours, or terms and other conditions of employment and the continuation, modification, or deletion of an existing provision of a collective bargaining agreement are subject to collective bargaining between the public employer and the exclusive representative, except as otherwise specified in this section.

“(B) The conduct and grading of civil service examinations, the rating of candidates, the establishment of eligible lists from the examinations, and the original appointments from the eligible lists are not appropriate subjects for collective bargaining.

“(C) Unless a public employer agrees otherwise in a collective bargaining agreement, nothing in Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code impairs the right and responsibility of each public employer to:

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Related

Ste. Marie v. City of Dayton
87 F. App'x 537 (Sixth Circuit, 2004)
Ste. Marie v. City of Dayton
109 F. Supp. 2d 846 (S.D. Ohio, 2000)
State ex rel. Parsons v. Fleming
1994 Ohio 172 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1994)
Columbus v. State Employment Relations Bd.
7 Ohio App. Unrep. 394 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
548 N.E.2d 329, 48 Ohio App. 3d 116, 1988 Ohio App. LEXIS 3433, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/biddle-v-city-of-dayton-ohioctapp-1988.