Delaware County Lodge No. 27 v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board

694 A.2d 1142, 1997 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 224, 1997 WL 256073
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedMay 19, 1997
DocketNo. 1496 C.D. 1996
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 694 A.2d 1142 (Delaware County Lodge No. 27 v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board) 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
Delaware County Lodge No. 27 v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, 694 A.2d 1142, 1997 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 224, 1997 WL 256073 (Pa. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

COLINS, President Judge.

Presented to the Court is the question whether the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) erred in dismissing a charge of unfair labor practice brought by the Delaware County Lodge, No. 7, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) against Haverford Township (Township). Based on our conclusion that the PLRB erred in part, the order of the PLRB is affirmed in part and reversed in part, and remanded to the PLRB for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

On March 15,1995, the FOP filed with the PLRB a charge that Haverford Township engaged in unfair labor practices contrary to the provisions of Sections 6(l)(a) and (e) of the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act1 and Act 111,2 by imposing on the bargaining unit a traffic citation issuance quota, as a unilater[1144]*1144al term or condition of employment, requiring members of the bargaining unit3 to engage in prohibited and unlawful conduct in violation of Act 114.4 The Secretary of the PLRB issued a complaint and the matter was assigned to a conciliator to seek resolution of the dispute. When no resolution of the dispute was reached, a hearing was held.

The hearing examiner found that the Township police department is comprised of 36 officers and eight sergeants. In addition to regular patrol activities, the Township organized a Special Response Team (SRT). The SRT is a highly trained tactical response unit designed for deployment in specialized, life threatening, high risk situations such as barricaded persons, hostage taking incidents and high risk drug warrant searches. The SRT is comprised of thirteen members. Once selected for SRT, the members serve for an indefinite term, and other than overtime pay for call out when not on duty, there is no additional remuneration for SRT members.

The chief of police selects SRT members from a pool of members who volunteer for the SRT. SRT members are selected because they are a “cut above” the average patrolman. (PDO, p. 2.) In order to be selected and remain a member of the SRT, an officer must be above average in productivity as measured by the categories enumerated on the officer monthly activity report. SRT members need to be self-motivated and an officer’s productivity is an indicator of self-motivation.

To determine an officer’s productivity the Township began tracking departmental aetivity in 1994. The numbers used in each category came from each officer’s daily and weekly activity reports submitted by platoon sergeants to their lieutenant. The categories tracked were:

1. arrests made;
2. traffic citations issued;
3. non-traffic citations issued;
4. motor vehicle written warnings issued;
5. parking tickets issued;
6. vehicle stops made;
7. selective assignments completed;
8. bank checks made;
9. pedestrian investigations completed;
10. vacant house cheeks made;
11. foot beats walked;
12. incident reports written.

Each officer’s activity was averaged per category. That average was the base line used to evaluate each officer’s job performance. Job performance was then measured by the number of categories in which an officer’s actual number of activities was below, equal to, or above the annual average per officer. Evaluations were based in part on the performance rating, however, an officer did not have to exceed the average in all categories to receive a good evaluation.

The hearing examiner’s conclusion that the Township did not establish a quota was based on the following relevant facts: (1) Officers were removed from the SRT because of their overall low productivity on the job and their failure to improve their performance; (2) Officers were removed for a below average [1145]*1145performance level in addition to prior personnel problems; (3) SRT Officers who were below average in the number of traffic citations issued but above average in other categories remained on the SRT; and (4) the failure of the FOP to introduce any evidence, beyond the subjective belief of some officers, that performance productivity was based on the total number of traffic citations issued.

In a Proposed Decision and Order (PDO) issued October 12,1995, the hearing examiner dismissed the charge of unfair labor practices and rescinded the complaint thereon. The FOP filed exceptions to the PDO alleging that the hearing examiner erred in failing to fond that the Township implemented a traffic citation quota system, in not addressing the issue of whether the implementation of a traffic citation quota system is a statutorily mandated subject of collective bargaining, and, by failing to consider whether the procedure in place violates Act 114. The PLRB dismissed the exceptions and made final the PDO. The FOP filed a petition for review with this Court.

When reviewing a PLRB determination, this Court’s scope of review is limited to determining whether there was a constitutional violation or an error of law, and whether the PLRB’s findings of fact are supported by substantial evidence. 2 Pa.C.S. § 704; Harbaugh v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, 107 Pa.Cmwlth. 406, 528 A.2d 1024 (1987). Factual findings supported by substantial evidence5 are conclusive on appeal; legal conclusions are subject to judicial review. Pennsylvania v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, 502 Pa. 7, 463 A.2d 409 (1983).

The gravamen of the FOP’s first argument is that the Township did in fact implement a quota system.6 The PLRB posits that whether the Township imposed a quota system was dispositive of the FOP’s remaining issues. We agree with the PLRB in part.

The complainant in an unfair labor practice proceeding has the burden of proving each element of its charge by substantial, credible evidence. St. Joseph’s Hospital v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, 473 Pa. 101, 373 A.2d 1069 (1977). In its charge to the PLRB, the FOP presented evidence that the productivity of the bargaining unit members was measured by a performance standard based upon twelve enumerated factors. One factor was the total number of traffic citations issued. The FOP also introduced evidence that two bargaining unit members were removed from SRT service for failure to meet departmental performance standards. The Hearing Examiner and the PLRB found that the evidence introduced by the FOP, standing alone, was insufficient to support a finding that the Township required the bargaining unit members to meet a quota when issuing traffic citations.

In support of its conclusion, the Board noted that the officers testified that they were never directed to meet a certain quota of traffic citations (Notes of Testimony pp. 51, 54). The Officers removed from the SRT unit were removed for overall low performance activity as measured in each of the twelve activities.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Borough of Emmaus v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board
156 A.3d 384 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2017)
Lancaster County v. PLRB
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2016
Lancaster County v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board
82 A.3d 1098 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2013)
County of Berks v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board
79 A.3d 8 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2013)
Lycoming County v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board
943 A.2d 333 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2008)
Pennsylvania State Police v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board
912 A.2d 909 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2006)
Delaware County Lodge No. 27 v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board
722 A.2d 1118 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
694 A.2d 1142, 1997 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 224, 1997 WL 256073, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/delaware-county-lodge-no-27-v-pennsylvania-labor-relations-board-pacommwct-1997.