Case: Labor Arbitration/Demotion (Arb.)

The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General didn’t have just cause to transfer, suspend or demote the grievant, a supervising narcotics agent, for conduct unbecoming and unprofessional behavior in violation of state manual directives, Arbitrator Perry A. Zirkel held. Approximately five months after the OAG’s pre-disciplinary conference with the grievant focusing on her managerial style and alleged offensive conduct towards law enforcement, it demoted her, issued her a 10-day suspension without pay, and transferred her to a different office. While she didn’t remedy the lack of morale in her original office for which she never took responsibility, the five-month gap wasn’t ...