Freeport Area School District v. Freeport Education Association — Commonwealth Court Reinstates Arbitration Award on Teacher’s Right to Decline FMLA Designation
The Commonwealth Court reversed a trial court order vacating an arbitration award and reinstated the award in favor of a teachers’ union, holding that where a CBA incorporates FMLA and the applicable FMLA rule is not subject to well-established case law or clear precedent, judicial review is limited to the deferential essence test — and the arbitrator’s conclusion that a school district could not unilaterally designate an employee’s absence as FMLA leave was rationally derived from the CBA.