City of Philadelphia v. Fraternal Order of Police

634 A.2d 800, 160 Pa. Commw. 272, 145 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2237, 1993 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 722
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 30, 1993
Docket1836 C.D. 1990
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 634 A.2d 800 (City of Philadelphia v. Fraternal Order of Police) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Philadelphia v. Fraternal Order of Police, 634 A.2d 800, 160 Pa. Commw. 272, 145 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2237, 1993 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 722 (Pa. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinions

PELLEGRINI, Judge.

The City of Philadelphia (City) appeals from an order of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County affirming an award of an arbitrator reinstating Gary Wakshul (Grievant) as an officer with the Philadelphia Police Department.1

[275]*275On December 7,1985, Grievant arrested two individuals and transported them to a police station. One of those two prisoners suffered injuries as a result of a physical confrontation with Grievant while being placed in a cell. This prisoner was then taken by Grievant to a local hospital. While the admission clerk was taking information from the prisoner, a second physical confrontation occurred.

Grievant was summoned to the Internal Affairs Division of the Police Department on April 29, 1986, with counsel, and was read his constitutional rights under Miranda2 On the advice of his counsel, Grievant refused to give a statement.

On May 28, 1986, a warrant for the arrest of Grievant was obtained based on a complaint alleging aggravated assault, simple assault and other charges.3 On the same day, Grievant was served with a “Notice of Suspension” which provided: “You are hereby notified by Order of the Police Commissioner that effective immediately, you are suspended for a period of thirty (80) days with Intent to Dismiss.” On May 29, 1986, the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 5 (FOP) filed a grievance protesting the suspension and contemplated dismissal of Grievant.

Thereafter, Grievant was served with “Notice of Intention to Dismiss.”4 The notice, signed by the Police Commissioner, listed conduct unbecoming a police officer and neglect of duty as the reasons for the dismissal. The notice recounted the incident involving the prisoner which occurred on December 7, 1985, and further provided in pertinent part:

Although your dismissal is based on the aforementioned substantive acts, on Wednesday, May 28, 1986, you were also arrested inside [Internal Affairs Bureau] Headquarters [276]*276and charged with Aggravated Assault, Simple Assault and Criminal Attempt.

The aforementioned conduct indicates you violated Police Department Orders and Directives and show little or no regard for your responsibilities as a member of the Philadelphia Police Department.

You are hereby notified that for the same reasons you were suspended without pay from your position effective at the beginning of your tour of duty on May 28, 1986, for thirty days, or until your prior dismissal.

The form also advised Grievant that if he believed that “this intended action is unjustified, you may, under regulations of the Civil Service Commission, within ten days from the service of this notice, notify [the Police Commissioner] in writing of your reasons therefor and summarize the facts in support of your belief.” Grievant was sent the Notice of Dismissal on June 16, 1986.

Arbitration proceedings commenced on April 21, 1988. The sole issue to be decided as framed by the arbitrator was: “Was Grievant discharged for just cause and in accordance with the requirements of the parties’ Agreement.”5 On July 31, 1989, the arbitrator issued his opinion and award. The arbitrator first noted that “[t]he parties’ Agreement, the [Philadelphia] Home Rule Charter, referenced therein,. and the Civil Service Regulation issued to implement the procedure for dismissal, all provide for notice and an opportunity to reply.” The arbitrator found that the dismissal of Grievant was defective because it violated Grievant’s “contractual due process rights” by precluding notice and an opportunity to reply. Specifically, the arbitrator observed that because Grievant’s arrest preceded his suspension and dismissal, his exercise of his right against self-incrimination precluded him from offering an explanation for his conduct. See generally Cleveland Board of Education v. Loudermill, 470 U.S. 532, [277]*277105 S.Ct. 1487, 84 L.Ed.2d 494 (1985).6 Accordingly, the arbitrator directed that Grievant be reinstated with back pay.

The arbitrator additionally considered the merits of the grievance, and issued an award on that basis which was to be applicable only if the arbitrator’s decision that Grievant’s due process rights were violated was reversed. The arbitrator found that Grievant’s actions at the hospital on December 7, 1985, constituted an excessive use of force, but that this was a first violation of Section 1.75 of the Disciplinary Code of the City Police Department.7 Accordingly, the arbitrator found that a 30-day suspension was warranted.

The City petitioned the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County to vacate, set aside or modify the arbitration award. By order entered July 31, 1990, the Common Pleas Court denied the City’s petition and confirmed the arbitrator’s award. The City then filed this appeal.

On appeal, the City raises two issues: (1) that the arbitrator exceeded his authority by deciding a constitutional issue; and (2) that the arbitrator erred when he, after finding just cause, substituted a lesser penalty. Both the City of Philadelphia and the FOP set forth the essence test as the appropriate standard of review of the arbitrator’s decision. We must first determine the proper standard of review of the arbitrator’s decision of the agreement between the parties negotiated under Act 111.8

[278]*278Previously, our case law has applied the “narrow certiorari” standard of review to appeals of Act 111 grievance arbitration. See City of Philadelphia v. FOP Lodge No. 5 (Wilson), 129 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 392, 565 A.2d 1232 (1989). However, we have recently decided that the proper standard of review is the one provided for in the Uniform Arbitration Act (UAA), 42 Pa.C.S. § 7302(d), or the “essence” test. Pennsylvania State Police v. Pennsylvania State Troopers’ Association (Trooper James Betancourt), 159 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 489, 633 A.2d 1278 (1993). In that case, we recognized that Act 111 does not provide for grievance arbitration, but grievance arbitration is appropriate in Act 111 cases under the provisions of the UAA. See Township of Moon v. Police Officers of Moon Tp., 508 Pa. 495, 498 A.2d 1305 (1985). Because the source of the authorization for police and fire grievance arbitration is the UAA, the standard of review that should be applied should also have its source in the UAA.9

The “essence test”, as it has been formulated in our case law, requires a determination as to whether the terms of the agreement encompass the subject matter of the dispute, and, if so, the validity of the arbitrator’s interpretation is not a matter of concern to the court. Leechburg Area School District v. Dale, 492 Pa. 515, 424 A.2d 1309 (1981); Joint [279]

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Related

Borough of Irwin v. Holman
22 Pa. D. & C.4th 295 (Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas, 1994)
City of Philadelphia v. Fraternal Order of Police
634 A.2d 800 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1993)

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634 A.2d 800, 160 Pa. Commw. 272, 145 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2237, 1993 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 722, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-philadelphia-v-fraternal-order-of-police-pacommwct-1993.