City fighting order to rehire employee sacked for sexual activity in fire chief's office - Action News
Home WebMail Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 08:31 AM | Calgary | -0.5°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
British Columbia

City fighting order to rehire employee sacked for sexual activity in fire chief's office

In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson said the cityhas filed an application to the Labour Relations Board appealing an arbitration boards order to rehire fire captain Brent Bond.

Vernonhas filed application to the Labour Relations Board appealing arbitration board decision

The City of Vernon expressed disappointment with the order to re-hire two dismissed employees. (City of Vernon)

The City of Vernon says it will appeal an order to reinstate a fire captain who was turfed after he was caught engaging in sexual activity in the chief's office.

In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson said the cityhas filed an application to the Labour Relations Board appealing an arbitration board's order to rehire Capt.Brent Bond.

Bond and a dispatcher were fired in March 2018 after what the board called "a brief episode of consensual activity" recorded by a hidden surveillance camera.

The arbitration board ultimately ruled that although theirsexual misconduct was worthy of harsh discipline, bothemployeesshould not have been fired.

An arbitration board ordered the City of Vernon to reinstate Capt. Brent Bond in the demoted role of 1st class firefighter until 2022, when he can be reinstated to the rank of captain. (B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Association)

It ordered Bond to be reinstated effective Feb. 1, 2019, with no loss of seniority of benefits and no compensation for lost wages.

He was to have a disciplinary suspension of five months on his employment record and a demotion to the rank of 1st class firefighter until Feb. 1, 2022, when he would be reinstated to the rank of fire captain.

The board ordered the city to reinstate the dispatcher without loss of seniority or service. However, she will not be returning as the position was contracted out in October 2018.