Can Airport Authority Terminate An Employee for Insubordination Falsifying Work Records and Compromising Security of Airport ?

In Allegheny County Airport Authority v. Construction General Laborers and Material Handlers Union, 874 A.2d 1250 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2005), an employee of the Authority was terminated for insubordination and serious breach of trust for falsifying work records and improper use of his security badge. The arbitrator found that the employee had, in fact, committed the acts cited by the Authority as the bases for his discharge; nevertheless, the arbitrator reinstated the employee based on mitigating factors. The Court reversed, holding that the employee's conduct amounted to a theft of services and serious breach of trust that struck at the core of the Authority's ability to operate a safe and secure airport.