Former Pinnacles Football Club Association head coach and executive director Ezra Cremers has put forward small claims action on the club.
In a notice of claim issued on Dec. 13, Cremers (and his company Enlightening Enterprises Ltd.) states he is asking for $8,351.04 for wrongful dismissal and breach of contract of employment that lead to lost income between Oct. 15 and Dec. 1, expenses and benefits.
Related: Pinnacles FC head coach has resigned from position
Cremers said he was hired by the Pinnacles Football Club Association (or its predecessor, South Okanagan Similkameen Youth Soccer Association) to provide certain services including, but not limited to, executive duties, head coach/technical director duties and managerial duties. In his notice of claim, Cremers said the contracts were to cover Sept. 1, 2012 to Aug. 31, 2017 and another contract in writing dated Feb. 27, 2016 to cover the period commencing Sept. 1, 2017 to Aug. 31, 2022.
Cremers, who lives in Kelowna, claims the breach of contracts began in spring 2017 when the club began to “usurp the contractual functions, services and duties” of Cremers, including making operational decisions. He said these actions by the club created a negative working atmosphere. He took medical leave from his duties on or about July 4. Following that leave, Cremers then took his scheduled summer vacation and returned to regular services and duties for the club on Aug. 9. He claims the club continued to assume the services and duties he was supposed to lead. On Aug. 26, Cremers said he residgned from the club citing personal reasons.
The notice of claim states that the club accepted the resignation and agreed in writing to continue to employ Cremers for a period of three months with a possible extension. Prior to the expiry of the three month period, Cremers said he was wrongfully terminated without just cause and without reasonable notice.
Cremers said he performed all duties as well as took on additional extra duties as and when requested throughout his employment. He added that he also requested a review of his series a number of times in writing and never received a documented review so he continued to run operations the way it had always ran.