Case Overview: The case involved an appeal by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) against a decision from the Territorial Court. The appeal was filed after the Territorial Court dismissed PSAC’s applications to either strike out Ryland’s claim as an abuse of process or to summarily dismiss it.

Legal Arguments/Issues: PSAC argued that the dispute regarding Ryland's compensation for using his personal vehicle for a work-related project should fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of labor arbitrators, citing the principles established in Weber v Ontario Hydro. Ryland claimed he had a separate contractual agreement with PSAC for the vehicle use, which was outside the collective bargaining agreement. The main legal contention centered on whether Ryland's claim was arbitrable under the collective agreement or if it constituted a separate contract necessitating court adjudication.

Held: The Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories ruled in favor of PSAC, finding that the dispute’s essential character related to the employment relationship governed by the collective agreement. The court concluded that the arbitration clause in the collective agreement covered the dispute, thereby barring court jurisdiction over the matter.

Costs/Award: The court awarded costs in favor of PSAC, but the specific total amount was not detailed in the provided document excerpts.