Applicant 'attempting to re‑litigate this matter,' says Ontario tribunal of discrimination claim

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) has dismissed a Humber Polytechnic employee’s complaint alleging sex discrimination and reprisal after the dispute had already been resolved through a union grievance settlement.

In Romanowska v. Humber Polytechnic, 2026, Vice‑chair François Henrie held that applicant Katarzyna Romanowska could not re‑litigate issues that had been raised and effectively settled in earlier proceedings under her collective agreement.

Romanowska began working at Humber in 2001 and was, at the time of her application, a Program Solutions IT Specialist in the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology. She was part of the support staff bargaining unit represented by Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 563.

Pay and classification dispute

In February 2019, she filed a grievance through the union, alleging that her Position Description Form did not accurately reflect her duties. She claimed that she should be paid at pay band I rather than band G, with retroactivity back to December 2006.

After a Step 1 meeting, Humber’s HR confirmed an adjustment of her pay band from G to I with retroactive payment to the grievance date. The parties could not agree on the retroactive period, and the matter moved to Step 2.

At a June 2019 Step 2 meeting, Romanowska alleged, for the first time, discrimination based on sex and gender because two colleagues had...

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