Seniority and bumping playbook

Seniority worksheets for bumping files. Aid only.

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A bumping file is decided by seniority dates, classification boundaries, and posting rules, not by who argues longest. This playbook shows stewards how to compare two members, map a cascade of one or two bumps, and run a committee meeting with the worksheet. Check every rule in your collective agreement (CA).

Not legal advice. Aid only.

This guide is not a calculator and it is not legal advice. Confirm dates and rights in your CA and against local practice.

Officer Learning module

Use Module 16 when you want to practise the next step with a scenario and a checklist you can bring to a meeting.

Seniority, Bumping & Layoff

Before you open a bumping file

Posting disputes, layoff bumps, and classification grievances use the same words but not the same procedure. Answer these questions first so the committee does not debate the wrong problem.

Is this a layoff or displacement bump?. A bumping file applies when the CA lets a displaced member claim a lower or lateral role by seniority during a layoff or restructuring. You need a vacancy chain, not just “I wanted that posting.”
Is this only a posting complaint?. If the issue is whether a vacancy was posted correctly or qualifications were applied fairly, start with the posting articles. That may be a grievance, not a seniority committee ranking session.
Already filed as a grievance?. If a formal grievance is live on the same facts, coordinate with the steward handling it. Do not let the committee prejudge an outcome that the grievance procedure decides.
Does the CA require a committee?. Some agreements require a seniority committee vote; others are steward-led with employer notice. Confirm who chairs, who records, and what happens if the committee cannot agree.

If you are not sure which it is

Pause the meeting. Read the layoff, posting, and seniority articles together. A posting grievance handled as a bump uses up the committee’s time and settles nothing.

Worked example: two members, one target role

The Facilities Coordinator position is eliminated. Member A and Member B both claim a bump into the posted Maintenance Clerk position. Write down the dates before anyone argues about qualifications.

Set up the sheet. Use two rows only: Member A and Member B. Add columns for seniority date, classification, current role, and target role. Do not add names from other campuses yet.
Enter sample dates. Member A: seniority date 2014-03-12, Maintenance Lead. Member B: seniority date 2016-09-01, Facilities Coordinator (eliminated). Target role: Maintenance Clerk (posted 2026-02-01).
Confirm which clock the CA uses. Open the CA. Does it count continuous service, classification seniority, or another date? If the elimination of Member B’s position triggers bumping rights, note the article before you compare.
Break ties on paper. If the dates tie, write down the tie-break rule in your CA, such as hire number, a draw, or hours in the classification. Do not assume that “longer in the building” wins unless the article says so.
Then check qualifications. Once the seniority order is drafted, mark Yes, No, or Unknown for ability, licensing, and posting eligibility. Under many agreements, a more senior member who does not meet the ability requirement cannot complete the bump. Check your collective agreement.

Takeaway

If you cannot write both seniority dates and the target role on one row each, you are not ready to vote.

Worked example: two-person chain

This chain has one vacancy, one member who bumps, and one incumbent who is displaced. Map it before you try a three-person chain.

Start with the vacancy. The Maintenance Clerk position was posted and filled. Then the layoff eliminates the Facilities Coordinator position held by Member B. The bump target is the clerk role that Member B wants.
Name the member who bumps. Member B (2016-09-01) claims a bump into Maintenance Clerk. Confirm that B is in the right classification and meets the ability requirement. Check your collective agreement for the exact wording.
Name who gets displaced. Member C (2019-11-15) holds the Maintenance Clerk position now, so C is the incumbent that B would displace. C may have bumping rights of their own into another posted role.
Mark where the chain ends. If C cannot bump further because of probation, temporary status, or a limit in the CA, write “chain ends at C” on the worksheet. Do not add steps the agreement does not allow.
Log the step. Write one line in the committee log: “B bumps to Clerk and displaces C. Articles cited. Next meeting date set if C claims a further bump.”

Worked example: Members A, B, and C

Role X is vacant and Role Y is posted. A three-person chain displaces two incumbents. Map every step before anyone signs.

Vacancy at Role X. Lab Technician II (Role X) is eliminated in a layoff. The posted replacement path runs through Role Y (Lab Technician I).
Member A: first to bump. Member A (2013-06-01, Lab Technician I) is the most senior eligible member and claims a bump into Role X. A meets the classification and ability requirements for X.
Member B: displaced incumbent. Member B (2015-02-14) held Role X. B bumps into the posted Role Y (Lab Technician I) if seniority and classification allow it.
Member C: last link. Member C (2018-10-30) holds Role Y. Check your collective agreement to confirm whether C can bump into a posted Role Z or has reached a limit, such as probation, temporary status, or a classification boundary.
One worksheet row per step. Use these rows: A → X, B → Y, C → ? Write “chain ends here” beside C if there is no further bump. Give alternate candidates a blank row instead of a side debate.

Takeaway

If you cannot name A, B, and C with dates on the worksheet, postpone the vote.

How to run the seniority committee

An orderly meeting settles more than a long argument. Use the worksheet as the agenda and work through it row by row.

Open with the CA articles. The chair reads the layoff, bumping, and committee articles aloud. Note which bargaining unit applies (full-time, part-time, or support staff) before anyone names a member.
Project or pass the worksheet. Every person in the chain gets a row. Stewards fill in the dates. Members confirm or challenge them with documents, not from memory.
Resolve one chain at a time. Finish the chain from Role X to Y to Z before you open a second vacancy. Mixing chains on one sheet leads to dates copied into the wrong row.
Vote on facts, then outcome. First agree on the seniority order and on who is eligible. Then vote on the bump outcome. Record each dissent in the log with the member’s name and reason.
Minutes are the worksheet plus the decision. Attach the completed worksheet, or the Officer Hub export, to the minutes. Record the date, chair, attendees, articles cited, and where the chain ends, for example “chain ends at Member C.”
File one copy in the case. The steward keeps the signed worksheet in the bumping file. If your local uses College Bumping in Officer Hub, write the case number on the worksheet.

Takeaway

If the room argues qualifications before dates are on the sheet, call a five-minute break and reset.

Common pitfalls

Most committee errors come from mixing up which date counts or ignoring limits the CA already sets.

Posting date vs. seniority date. The date a vacancy was posted, such as 2026-02-01, is not anyone’s seniority date. Do not rank members by posting date.
Classification boundaries. Members in full-time, part-time, or support staff bargaining units may not be able to bump from one unit into another. Confirm the bargaining unit and its agreement before you rank anyone.
Probationary or temporary status. Confirm that a member has bumping rights before you rank them. In many agreements, probationary or temporary status blocks a bump entirely. Check your collective agreement.
“Earlier date always wins”. Read the tie-break and ability articles. Seniority order is necessary, but it is not always enough.

Paper worksheet (print or export)

Use this column layout during the meeting on a blank page, in a spreadsheet, or in a download with your local’s branding. Keep one signed copy in the case file.

Columns. Member ref · Seniority date · Classification · Current position · Target / bump claim · Eligible? (Y/N/?) · Notes / CA article
Rows. Use one row for each person in the chain, plus a blank row for alternate candidates. Write “chain ends here” when the CA does not allow another bump.
Footer. Add the meeting date, the chair, a summary of the decision, and the Officer Hub bumping case number if your local uses one.

Download Excel worksheet

This opens Document Generator with a blank seniority grid in your local’s branding, ready to download.

Bumping in Officer Hub

In Officer Hub, College Bumping keeps your notes, PDF comparisons, and sessions in one place. It is set up for bumping under Ontario college collective agreements. Treat any ranking aid as a double-check, and redo the paper worksheet if a result surprises you.

Sources & references

External resources cited in this guide. National and government URLs often move; if a link 404s, search from that organization’s home page. OPSEU / SEFPO pages on opseu.org may block automated checks — open those links in a browser before you share them in a workshop.

Colleges Collective Bargaining Act, 2008 (Ontario)
Governs Ontario college-sector bargaining. DFR for CAAT support staff is in this Act, not the LRA.