The Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association filed a class action grievance in December 2023 after discovering unusual patterns. The union’s investigation revealed that Community Corrections Centers were denying leave requests at rates far exceeding other department institutions of similar size, with inconsistencies in how the policy was applied even among comparable facilities.
When the matter reached arbitration in July 2024, the department’s defense crumbled under questioning. One lieutenant conceded that managers had improperly denied leave requests that should have been granted. More damaging, the department could not provide sufficient evidence that the one-slot-per-day restriction was always necessary for maintaining safe and efficient operations.
The arbitrator ruled the practice violated both the current collective bargaining agreement and a 1988 side letter guaranteeing employees sufficient opportunities to use their earned leave within the calendar year. The department challenged the decision, arguing the side letter specifically named only Corrections Officers and Psychiatric Security Aides, not Monitors.
The court rejected this argument. Once incorporated into the collective bargaining agreement covering all union members, the side letter’s protections extended to everyone under the contract. The court found no compelling evidence the side letter was intended to exclude monitors, especially since they now work under the same combined leave system as other corrections employees.
The ruling’s broader significance for HR professionals lies in how it addressed operational needs claims. The arbitrator had directed the department to consider operational efficiency only when specific and demonstrable needs require denying leave. The department objected, calling this a new evidentiary standard not found in the contract.