New centre designed to handle conflicts, complaints opens

From left: Chief Petty Officer First Class Gino Spinelli,  Base Chief; Alison Arnesen, Conflict and Complaint Management Services Regional Manager; Captain (Navy) Jason Boyd, Base Commander, snip the ribbon to officially open the Conflict and Complaint Management Service Centre on June 4. Photo by LS Alex Ilareguy, Lookout

From left: Chief Petty Officer First Class Gino Spinelli, Base Chief; Alison Arnesen, Conflict and Complaint Management Services Regional Manager; Captain (Navy) Jason Boyd, Base Commander, snip the ribbon to officially open the Conflict and Complaint Management Service Centre on June 4. Photo by LS Alex Ilareguy, Lookout

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

A new Conflict and Complaint Management Services (CCMS) Centre designed to provide early, local, and informal resolutions to disputes in the workplace has opened its doors in CFB Esquimalt.

Located inside the Dockyard Gates in Building 525 on Transport Road, the new CCMS Esquimalt centre held its grand opening on the morning of June 4 with a celebratory ribbon cutting.

CCMS is available to military members who have concerns about harassment, human rights and diversity, and grievances, with access to professionally trained agents and conflict management practitioners (alternative dispute resolution service providers) who provide confidential services. 

The CCMS office is also available to defence team members looking for alternative dispute resolution such as mediation, group interventions, and conflict coaching, and facilitation.

The Esquimalt office is one of 12 new CCMS centres across Canada. CCMS Esquimalt will employ three trained agents and one conflict management practitioner. CCSM pilot centres located at CF Bases Borden, Kingston, Valcartier and Montreal opened their doors last year, while CCMS offices in Halifax and Ottawa became operational in late May. 

Until recently, formal complaints at CFB Esquimalt were handled through the chain of command, says Alison Arnesen, CCMS Regional Manager West North Region.

However, with the new office comes a change in policy.

The goal now, says Arnesen, is to have complaints taken care of early, locally, and informally by a CCMS agent working with the chain of command.

“Agents will listen to the concerns of defence team members and then inform them as to what their options are to help manage their workplace dispute. The agents then work with the chain of command and the member to make sure the complaint is dealt with in a timely manner.”

Arnesen says resolving workplace conflicts and complaints in the early stages through CCMS centres will also allow for a more timely resolution of grievance and harassment complaints. 

Base Commander, Captain (Navy) Jason Boyd took part in the grand opening and hailed the opening of the CCMS centre as a move to provide defence team members with the support they deserve. He noted that when trying to assist in workplace conflicts, well-intentioned people can often operate separately or in “silos.”

“With the Integrated Conflict and Complaint Management Program, it’s a proven approach that will hopefully breakdown some of these silos,” said Capt(N) Boyd. “We have an obligation to uphold reasonable standards of behaviour and to protect those who have been victimized by unacceptable breaches of those work standards.”

The CFB Esquimalt CCMS office will also serve members from CFB Comox, 39 Canadian Brigade Group in Vancouver, and reserve units in the province. 

CCMS Esquimalt is open Monday to Friday, and staff can also be reached by calling 250-363-7578.

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