Psu. Ass'n of University Professors v. Psu.

246 P.3d 1162, 240 Or. App. 108
Court of Appeals of Oregon·Decided December 29, 2010·No. UP3605 A138895·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

246 P.3d 1162 (2010)
240 Or. App. 108

PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY CHAPTER OF the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, Respondent,
v.
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY, Petitioner.

UP3605; A138895.

Court of Appeals of Oregon.

Argued and Submitted January 13, 2010.
Decided December 29, 2010.

*1164 Jeff J. Payne, Assistant Attorney General, argued the cause for petitioner. With him on the briefs were Hardy Myers, Attorney General, and Mary H. Williams, Solicitor General.

Elizabeth A. Joffee argued the cause for respondent. With her on the brief was McKanna Bishop Joffee & Arms, LLP.

Before SERCOMBE, Presiding Judge, and WOLLHEIM, Judge, and RIGGS, Senior Judge.

WOLLHEIM, J.

The Portland State University Chapter of the Association of University Professors (Association) represents academic professionals employed by Portland State University (PSU). The Association and PSU entered into a collective bargaining agreement that established a grievance process for dispute resolution (CBA). One provision of the CBA allowed PSU to decline to use that grievance process after a member of the Association sought resolution of the grievance from an administrative agency or in a court. Here, a member of the Association alleged gender discrimination in complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). Thereafter, PSU declined to use the grievance process. The Association filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the Employment Relations Board under ORS 243.672(1)(g), alleging that PSU's refusal to enter into the grievance process constituted unlawful retaliation under ORS 659A.030(1)(f) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifically, 42 USC section 2000e-3(a). The board agreed with the Association and ordered PSU to submit to the grievance process. PSU seeks judicial review of that order. We agree with PSU that the board erred in ordering PSU to submit to the grievance process because it applied the wrong standard. Accordingly, we reverse and remand for reconsideration.[1]

The following facts are undisputed. The CBA defined a grievance process to resolve disputes that arose between the Association and PSU. The grievance process established deadlines for the filing of grievances, provided for various stages of informal and formal negotiations involving the Association and PSU, and, ultimately, granted the Association the right to submit grievances to binding arbitration. However, the agreement allowed PSU to withdraw from the grievance process if a member sought resolution of the same matter through alternative channels. Specifically, Article 28.B.2 of the agreement provided:

"Resort to Other Procedures. If, prior to seeking resolution of a dispute by presenting a grievance hereunder, or while the grievance proceeding is in progress, a member seeks resolution of the matter through any agency outside [PSU], whether administrative or judicial, [PSU] shall have no obligation to entertain or proceed further with the matter pursuant to this grievance procedure or pursuant to Division C (ARBITRATION) of this Article."

(Boldface and capitalization in original.)

Wilson was employed on annual fixed-term contracts as a faculty member from September 1998 through August 2004 and was a member of the Association. In the fall of *1165 2003, Wilson met with her department head on behalf of a colleague who had accused a third faculty member in the department of sexual harassment. Thereafter, PSU informed Wilson that her contract would not be renewed and, later that academic year, Wilson came to believe that she suffered discrimination in retaliation for her support of her colleague's claims. Wilson then filed a complaint with PSU's Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (AA/EO office) and spoke with the Association about filing a grievance under the CBA.

While the Association investigated whether to pursue a grievance, the AA/EO office completed its investigation and issued a report recommending that PSU take no action on Wilson's complaint. PSU adopted that recommendation. The Association requested a copy of the report, which PSU declined to provide based on confidentiality and relevance.

In February 2005, the Association filed a grievance under the CBA, alleging that PSU had improperly failed to provide a copy of the AA/EO report. Separately, Wilson filed an intake questionnaire with the EEOC in pursuit of a potential gender discrimination action against PSU. The Association informed PSU that Wilson had filed an EEOC complaint. PSU then notified the Association that it would not process the grievance because Wilson had sought resolution through an outside agency. PSU relied on Article 28.B.2. The Association responded that Article 28.B.2 was illegal and unenforceable.[2]

Wilson then filed a complaint with BOLI, alleging that her nonrenewal was discriminatory and retaliatory. Subsequently, the Association filed a second grievance, alleging that the nonrenewal of Wilson's contract was discriminatory and retaliatory. PSU again refused to process that grievance, relying on Article 28.B.2.

The Association filed a complaint with the board and sought declaratory relief, asserting that PSU's failure to comply with the grievance process violated ORS 243.672(1)(g), which provides that "[i]t is an unfair labor practice to * * * [v]iolate the provisions of any written contract with respect to employment relations, including an agreement to arbitrate."[3] Citing Article 28.B.2, PSU countered that it did not violate any contractual provision because, it had never agreed to process any grievances involving a matter that was also submitted to an outside agency such as EEOC or BOLI. The Association responded that Article 28.B.2 of the CBA was not enforceable because it sanctioned discrimination against an employee who has filed a discrimination complaint, citing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifically, 42 USC section 2000e-3(a), and ORS 659A.030(1)(f).

The board concluded that "[u]nder the express and unambiguous terms of the collective bargaining agreement, * * * [PSU] had no contractual obligation to further process the grievance once Wilson commenced EEOC proceedings." However, the board agreed with the Association that Article 28.B.2, by allowing the employer to penalize an employee who chooses to seek resolution of a discrimination claim, "constitutes unlawful retaliation under both state and federal law." Consequently, the board concluded that Article 28.B.2 was "unenforceable as applied" to Wilson's grievances and that PSU's refusal to process Wilson's grievances violated ORS 243.672(1)(g). Consequently, the board ordered PSU to process the grievances.

PSU seeks judicial review of the order of the board, raising two assignments of error. First, PSU argues that the board erred by *1166

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Psu. Ass'n of University Professors v. Psu., 246 P.3d 1162, 240 Or. App. 108 (Or. Ct. App. 2010).

246 P.3d 1162 (Psu. Ass'n of University Professors v. Psu.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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