Arbitrator orders return to field work; no back pay but seniority preserved
An arbitrator has ordered the City of Coquitlam to reinstate a long-serving municipal arborist who was dismissed in December 2025 following an investigation into his break times. The decision, released Aug. 19 by arbitrator Christopher Foy, concluded that while the employee’s conduct amounted to time theft, outright termination was an overly harsh response.
The employee, Aidon Pyne, had worked for Coquitlam for about 14 years and was a member of a five-person tree crew. The city will reinstate him to his former field arborist position effective Sept. 8, the arbitration order states. The reinstatement carries no back pay but preserves his length of service and seniority.
Investigation relied on GPS and fitness-app data
The city's probe examined vehicle GPS records, workplace timesheets and information from the fitness-tracking app Strava to determine how long Pyne spent away from assigned duties. The audit covered the period from May 1 to Oct. 24, 2025. Investigators concluded Pyne took a total of 1,762 minutes — just over 29 hours — of unauthorised break time across 14 days between May and October 2025.
Investigators noted specific locations where Pyne’s assigned vehicle spent extended periods, including a JJ Bean coffee shop on Ponderosa Street and a Cortes Avenue parking spot used before running along the Coquitlam River. The inquiry expanded after an unrelated complaint on June 30, 2025, about a municipal vehicle parked for hours at a residential condominium complex. That earlier probe found two employees had been using a city gym for longer than permitted lunch breaks, and one told investigators he had also seen members of the tree crew at the gym.
- Employee: Aidon Pyne, 14 years with the city
- Period audited: May 1–Oct. 24, 2025
- Alleged unauthorised time: 1,762 minutes (≈29.4 hours) across 14 days
- Arbitrator ruling: Reinstatement effective Sept. 8; no back pay; seniority retained
Arbitrator: trust damaged but reparable
“On balance, I conclude that the trust which is fundamental to the employment relationship is not irreparably broken,”
Foy accepted the city's evidence that misconduct occurred and said the conduct was serious enough to warrant discipline. Still, he found dismissal to be disproportionate to the misconduct and ordered reinstatement.
Background roles and workplace context
Over his tenure, Pyne has held supervisory positions; he served 14 months as acting manager of urban forestry and the cemetery before returning to a field arborist role after a 2023 reorganisation. The arbitration record indicates the investigation examined not only GPS tracks but also work-management records that, according to the city, showed no corresponding tree-work activity during the extended stops.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total unauthorised minutes | 1,762 |
| Days affected | 14 |
| Audit window | May 1–Oct. 24, 2025 |
Implications for Coquitlam’s workforce and residents
The case raises practical and ethical questions about how municipalities monitor staff and balance oversight with reasonable privacy and discipline. For residents, the ruling may bring reassurance that alleged misuse of work time is investigated, while also underscoring that arbitrators can temper municipal discipline where they judge trust can be repaired.
For the city, the award preserves managerial discretion to discipline employees but signals that termination may not always be upheld where rehabilitative measures or lesser penalties are appropriate. The arbitrator’s decision also leaves intact the city’s underlying finding of misconduct, even as it reverses the ultimate sanction.
As a West Coast municipality managing growth and a dense urban canopy, Coquitlam depends on its urban forestry crews to maintain tree health, public safety and green infrastructure. How the city balances accountability with fair labour practices will matter to both staff and citizens who rely on those public services.
