SGEU dealing with disciplinary issues surrounding president

Bob Bymoen’s status as president of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union (SGEU) appears to have become a matter of debate.

According to an email sent to 980 CJME, the union’s Membership, Constitution & Legislation (MCL) Committee recommended last week that Bymoen should be suspended for two years for what it called “the most egregious behaviour that undermines our Code of Ethics, Harassment policy, Constitution, Policy manual and union values.”

However, shortly after that ban was recommended, the union’s Administration Committee overturned it.

“Because there was no hearing, the discipline imposed by the MC&L Committee suspending the President for two years effective immediately is hereby declared null and void and of no force and effect,” the Administration Committee wrote in an internal email that also was provided to 980 CJME.

That committee suggested the MC&L Committee didn’t have the authority or constitutional jurisdiction to impose the discipline it suggested, in large part because a disciplinary hearing wasn’t held.

That said, the Administration Committee did say that the matter still could be dealt with at a future hearing. The issue is to be discussed at the SGEU’s Provincial Council meeting Tuesday and Wednesday.

Bymoen has been the SGEU president since 2002.

According to the documents provided to 980 CJME, the on-and-off discipline of Bymoen stems from a dispute with another SGEU member.

Bymoen has a history with the member, including a complaint Bymoen filed against the man in April. The MC&L Committee sent the complaint to a third-party investigator.

In the investigator’s report, Bymoen alleged that the member had harassed Bymoen by “making comments at a public event that related to his termination, including that he believed Mr. Bymoen was happy (the member) had been fired and that he deserved to be fired, which were not true, and which smeared him and the Union.”

The report found that Bymoen had made comments to another SGEU staffer that the president would like to see the member — who had been terminated from his job — to “stay fired.”

Those actions prompted the finding by the MC&L Committee.

“The evidence shows that you have intentionally used your position of power as President to influence and control a paid staff member to not represent a member of our union in order to cause harm to a member as a result of your obvious dislike for this member,” read the committee’s email to Bymoen.

“The findings of this (investigator’s) report are clear that was a will full (sic) and deliberate attempt by yourself to harm a member of our union by attempting to threaten and undermine a staff member,” the email added.

The committee then recommended the suspension, which the Administration Committee nixed.

In a statement Monday, the SGEU said the Administration Committee “met and determined that the principles of natural justice had not been properly applied, which could lead to significant liability to the union since a hearing had not been held prior to the imposition of discipline.”

The statement added that the SGEU wouldn’t say anything further on the matter. Bymoen didn’t respond to a phone message seeking comment.