Advisory Arbitration Any dispute or grievance which has not been resolved by the grievance procedure may be submitted to advisory arbitration by the Association Representative or the City without the consent of the other party providing it is submitted within ten (10) working days, following its termination in the grievance procedure. The following Advisory Arbitration procedures shall be followed:
(1) The requesting party will notify the other party in writing of the matter to be arbitrated and the contract provision(s) allegedly violated. Within five (5) working days of the receipt of this notice, the parties may agree upon an arbitrator, or a panel of three arbitrators trained in conducting grievance hearings. If agreement on an arbitrator cannot be reached, the State Department of Industrial Relations shall be requested by either or both parties to provide a list of five arbitrators. Both the City and the Association shall have the right to strike two names from the list. The party requesting the arbitration shall strike the first name; the other party shall then strike one name. The process will be repeated and the remaining person shall be the arbitrator.
(2) The arbitrator shall hear the case within twenty (20) working days after the arbitrator has been selected. The arbitrator may make a written report of their findings to the Association and the City within fifteen (15) working days after the hearing is concluded. The arbitrator shall make rules of procedure. The decision of the arbitrator shall be advisory to the City Manager who shall render a final decision within ten (10) working days. The arbitrator shall have no authority to amend, alter, or modify this agreement or its terms and shall limit recommendations solely to the interpretation and application of this agreement. The above time limits of this provision may be extended by mutual agreement.
(3) Each grievance or dispute will be submitted to a separately convened arbitration proceeding except when the City and the Association mutually agree to have more than one grievance or dispute submitted to the same arbitrator.
(4) The City and the Association shall share the expense of arbitrators and witnesses and shall share equally any other expenses, including those of a stenographer, if required by either party. If either party elects not to follow the advisory decision rendered by the arbitrator, that party shall pay the entire cost of the arbitration process, including the expense of the arbitrator, witnesses, and/or stenographer.
Arbitration Procedure The following procedures shall govern the conduct of any arbitration under this section. All procedural matters relating to the conduct of the arbitration other than those specified below shall be discussed among counsel for the parties and the arbitrator. Subject to any agreement of the parties, the arbitrator shall determine all procedural matters not specified herein.
(a) Within 30 days after the delivery of a Notice of Arbitration, each party shall afford the other, or its counsel, with reasonable access to documents relating directly to the issues raised in the Notice of Arbitration. All documents produced and all copies thereof shall be maintained as strictly confidential, shall be used for no purpose other than the arbitration hereunder, and shall be returned to the producing party upon completion of the arbitration. There shall be no other discovery except that, if a reasonable need is shown, limited depositions may be allowed in the discretion of the arbitrator, it being the expressed intention and agreement of each party to have the arbitration proceedings conducted and resolved as expeditiously, economically and fairly as reasonably practicable, and with the maximum degree of confidentiality.
(b) All written communications regarding the proceeding sent to the arbitrator shall be sent simultaneously to each party or its counsel, with a copy to the Additional Notice Parties. Oral communications between any of the parties or their counsel and the arbitrator shall be conducted only when all parties or their counsel are present and participating in the conversation.
(c) Within 20 days after selection of the arbitrator, the Claimant shall submit to the arbitrator a copy of the Notice of Arbitration, along with a supporting memorandum and any exhibits or other documents supporting the Claim.
(d) Within 20 days after receipt of the Claimant’s submission, the Opposing Party shall submit to the arbitrator a memorandum supporting its position and any exhibits or other supporting documents. If the Opposing Party fails to respond to any of the issues raised by the Claimant within 20 days of receipt of the Claimant’s submission, then the arbitrator may find for the Claimant on any such issue and bar any subsequent consideration of the matter.
(e) Within 20 days after receipt of the Opposing Party’s response, the Claimant may submit to the arbitrator a reply to the Opposing Party’s response, or notification that no reply is forthcoming.
(f) No later than twenty (20) days prior to the hearing date scheduled by the arbitrator each party shall provide the other, and the arbitrator, with a list and copies of the documents upon which they may rely and/or submit as exhibits at the hearing and a list of the witnesses they may present, with a reasonably detailed summary of the testimony that each witness may give.
(g) Within 10 days after the last submission as provided above, the arbitrator shall notify the parties and the Additional Notice Parties of the date of the hearing on the issues raised by the Claim. Scheduling of the hearing shall be within the sole discretion of the arbitrator, but in no event more than 30 days after the last submission by the parties, and shall take place within 50 miles of the corporate headquarters of the Company at a place selected by the arbitrator or such other place as is mutually agreed. Both parties shall be granted substantially equal time to present evidence at the hearing. The hearing shall not exceed one business day, except for good cause shown.
(h) Within 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing, the arbitrator shall issue a written decision to be delivered to both parties and the Additional Notice Parties (the “Final Determination”). The Final Determination shall address each issue disputed by the parties, state the arbitrator’s findings and reasons therefor, and state the nature and amount of any damages, compensation or other relief awarded.
(i) The award rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and non-appealable, except as otherwise provided under the applicable Arbitration Act, and judgment may be entered upon it in accordance with applicable law in such court as has jurisdiction thereof.
Expedited Arbitration Procedure The expedited procedure shall be used for either grievances involving Articles exclusively applying to temporary workers or, with the mutual agreement of the Employer and Union, for other grievances. For grievances that do not involve Articles exclusively applying to temporary workers, either the Employer or Union may request in writing that the expedited arbitration procedure be used at the time the Parties are scheduling dates with the arbitrator.
(a) The Employer and Union will develop a stipulation of facts and use affidavits and other time-saving methods whenever possible and when mutually agreed upon.
(b) Case presentation will be limited to preliminary opening statements, brief recitation of facts, witness presentation and closing oral argument. No post hearing briefs shall be filed or transcripts made. The hearing will be completed within one (1) business day unless otherwise agreed upon by the Parties.
(c) The hearing shall be conducted by the arbitrator in whatever manner will most expeditiously permit full presentation of the evidence and arguments of the Parties.
(d) The arbitrator may issue, at their discretion, a bench decision at the conclusion of the hearing or may issue a written award no later than seven (7) calendar days from the close of the hearing excluding weekends and holidays.
(e) All decisions shall be final and binding on the Employer and Union. An arbitration award will be non-precedential if mutually agreed upon by the Parties before the hearing starts. The arbitrator’s award shall be based on the record and shall include a brief explanation of the basis for the award.
GRIEVANCE AND ARBITRATION PROCEDURE 8.01 The parties to this agreement believe it is important to adjust complaints and grievances as quickly as possible as provided for herein. The employee or Union shall first discuss any individual complaint informally with the Director of Care or designate at the first opportunity.
8.02 In all steps of this grievance procedure an aggrieved employee, if she so desires may be accompanied by or represented by her Union Representative. At Step 1 of the grievance procedure a representative of the Ontario Nurses' Association may be present at the request of either party.
8.03 Should any dispute arise between the Employer and an employee, or between the Employer and the Union, as to the interpretation, application, administration or alleged violation of any of the provisions of this Agreement, the employee or Union Representative will bring it to the attention of the immediate supervisor to settle such differences within ten (10) days of the occurrence. If further action is to be taken, then within ten (10) days of the discussion, the employee, who may request the assistance of her Union Representative and/or Labour Relations Officer, shall submit the written grievance to the Administrator or designate. A meeting will be held between the parties within ten (10) days. The Administrator shall give a written decision within ten (10) days of the meeting to the Bargaining Unit President or her designate with a copy to the Labour Relations Officer. Should the Administrator fail to render his decision or failing settlement of any grievance under the foregoing procedure, including any questions as to whether a matter is arbitrable, the grievance may be referred to arbitration by either party. If no written notice of intent to submit the matter for arbitration is received within ten (10) days after the decision under Step No. 1 is received, the grievance shall be deemed to have been settled or abandoned.
8.04 A written grievance will indicate the nature of the grievance and the remedy sought by the grievor. Union grievances shall be set out on the union grievance form. Alternately, the parties may agree to an electronic version of this form and a process for signing.
8.05 Time limits fixed in the grievance and arbitration procedures may be extended only by written, mutual consent of the parties. Should the Employer not respond within the time limit(s) fixed, such failure to respond shall be deemed to be a denial of the grievance. Should a grievance not be submitted within the various time limits specified in this Agreement, unless mutually extended, it shall be considered to have been settled or abandoned.
Mandatory Arbitration Except as provided in subsection (h) of this Section 31, any Dispute must be resolved by binding arbitration in accordance with the following:
(a) Either Party may begin arbitration by filing a demand for arbitration in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the AAA (the “Arbitration Rules”) and concurrently notifying the other Party of that demand. If the Parties are unable to agree upon a panel of three neutral arbitrators within twenty days after the demand for arbitration was filed (the Parties agree to a reasonable, one-time extension of that twenty-day period), either Party may request the Houston, Texas office of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) to appoint the arbitrator or arbitrators necessary to complete the panel in accordance with the Arbitration Rules. Each arbitrator so appointed shall be deemed accepted by the Parties as part of the panel. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Parties, by mutual consent, may agree to a single arbitrator instead of a panel of three arbitrators and, in such event, references herein to “panel” shall refer to the single appointed arbitrator.
(b) The arbitration shall be conducted in the Houston, Texas metropolitan area at a place and time agreed upon by the Parties with the panel, or if the Parties cannot agree, as designated by the panel. The panel may, however, call and conduct hearings and meetings at such other places as the Parties may agree or as the panel may, on the motion of one Party, determine to be necessary to obtain significant testimony or evidence.
(c) The panel may authorize any and all forms of discovery upon a Party’s showing of need that the requested discovery is likely to lead to material evidence needed to resolve the Dispute and is not excessive in scope, timing, or cost.
(d) The arbitration shall be subject to the Federal Arbitration Act and conducted in accordance with the Arbitration Rules to the extent that they do not conflict with this Section 31. The Parties and the panel may, however, agree to vary to provisions of this Section 31 or the matters otherwise governed by the Arbitration Rules as permitted by law.
(e) The arbitration hearing shall be held within 60 days after the appointment of the panel. The panel’s final decision or award shall be made within 30 days after the hearing. That final decision or award shall be made by unanimous or majority vote or consent of the arbitrators constituting the panel, and shall be deemed issued at the place of arbitration. The panel’s final decision or award shall be based on the terms and conditions of this Agreement and applicable law.
(f) The panel’s final decision or award may include injunctive relief in response to any actual or impending breach of this Agreement or any other actual or impending action or omission of a Party under or in connection with this Agreement.
(g) The panel’s final decision or award shall be final and binding upon the Parties, and judgment upon that decision or award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. The Parties waive any right to apply or appeal to any court for relief from the preceding sentence or from any decision of the panel that is made before the final decision or award.
(h) Nothing in this Section 31 limits the right of either Party to apply to a court having jurisdiction to (i) enforce the agreement to arbitrate in accordance with this Section 31, (ii) seek provisional or temporary injunctive relief, in response to an actual or impending breach of the Agreement or otherwise so as to avoid an irreparable damage or maintain the status quo, until a final arbitration decision or award is rendered or the Dispute is otherwise resolved, or challenge or vacate any final arbitration decision or award that does not comply with this Section 31. In addition, nothing in this Section 31 prohibits the Parties from resolving any Dispute (in whole or in part) at any time by mutual agreement or compromise. This Section 31 shall also not preclude the Parties at any time from mutually agreeing to pursue non-binding mediation of the Dispute.
(i) The panel may proceed to an award notwithstanding the failure of any Party to participate in such proceedings. The prevailing Party in the arbitration proceeding may be entitled to an award of reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with the arbitration in such amount, if any, as determined by the panel in its discretion. The costs of the arbitration shall be borne equally by the Parties unless otherwise determined by the panel in its award.
(j) The panel shall be empowered to impose sanctions and to take such other actions as it deems necessary to the same extent a judge could impose sanctions or take such other actions pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and applicable law. Each Party agrees to keep all Disputes and arbitration proceedings strictly confidential except for disclosure of information required by applicable law which cannot be waived.
GRIEVANCE ARBITRATION PROCEDURE 8.01 For purposes of this Agreement, a grievance is defined as a difference arising between the parties relating to the interpretation, application, administration or alleged violation of the Agreement, including any question as to whether a matter is arbitrable.
8.02 In all steps of this Grievance Procedure, the aggrieved nurse, if desired, may be accompanied by or represented by a nurse representative.
8.03 It is the mutual desire of the parties hereto that complaints of the nurses shall be adjusted as quickly as possible, and it is understood that a nurse has no grievance until she has first given the Unit Manager the opportunity of adjusting her complaint. Such complaint shall be discussed with the Unit Manager within ten (10) days after the circumstances giving rise to it have occurred or ought reasonably to have come to the attention of the nurse and failing settlement within five (5) days, it shall then be taken up as a grievance within ten (10) days following the Unit Manager's decision in the following manner and sequence: The nurse may submit a written grievance on the form set out in Appendix "A", signed by her, to the Unit Manager. The grievance shall identify the nature of the grievance and the remedy sought and should identify the provisions of the Agreement which are alleged to be violated. The Unit Manager will deliver her decision in writing within five (5) days of the submission of the grievance. Failing settlement, then: Within five (5) days following the decision in Step No. 1, the nurse may submit the written grievance to the Director of Resident Care who will deliver her decision, in writing, within five (5) days from the date on which the written grievance was presented to her. The parties may, if they so desire, meet to discuss the grievance at a time and place suitable to both parties. Failing settlement, then: Within ten (10) days of receiving the decision under Step 2, the grievance, in writing, may be referred to the Chief Executive Officer who shall call a meeting of the Grievance Committee within five (5) days of receipt of same. Within five (5) days following the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer shall reply, in writing, to the nurse and the Chairperson of the Grievance Committee. If the decision is unsatisfactory to the nurse, it may be referred to arbitration within fifteen (15) days and the Chief Executive Officer so notified, in writing.
Dispute Resolution and Arbitration The following procedures shall be used in the resolution of disputes:
Mediation and Arbitration If the Executive and the Employer have any dispute whatsoever relating to the interpretation, validity or performance of this Agreement, or any other dispute arising out of this Agreement, every reasonable attempt will be made to resolve any differences or dispute within thirty (30) days of an issuance of written notice by either party to the other party. If a successful resolution of any differences or dispute has not been achieved to the satisfaction of both parties at the end of the thirty (30) day period, the following steps will be used: Except as otherwise expressly provided hereunder, the parties agree that any and all disputes arising out of the Executive’s employment or cessation of employment, including but not limited to any dispute, controversy, or claim arising under any federal, state, or local statute, law, ordinance or regulation or under this Agreement, shall be resolved exclusively by Alternative Dispute Resolution described in this Agreement ("ADR"). The initiation of ADR shall first require mediation, and the parties agree to first try to settle any dispute through mediation. Mediation shall be initiated by either party by the serving of a written notice of intent to mediate (a "Mediation Notice") by one party upon the other. If no resolution has been mutually agreed through mediation within ninety (90) days of service of a Mediation Notice, then and only then may the dispute be submitted to arbitration. Arbitration shall be initiated by the serving of a written notice of intent to arbitrate (an "Arbitration Notice") by one party upon the other. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to preclude the Employer from seeking temporary or permanent injunctive relief and/or damages from a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to Section 8 of this Agreement with respect to any breach of Section 7 of this Agreement.
(a) In the event that a party wishes to initiate ADR, a Mediation Notice must be served on the other party within six months from the date on which the claim arose. If the parties cannot mutually agree on a mediator, then a mediator shall be selected in accordance with the Employment Mediation Rules of the American Arbitration Association.
(b) In the event that mediation is unsuccessful and arbitration is initiated, it shall be conducted under the National Rules of the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association. There shall be a single arbitrator to be agreed upon by the parties, provided that, if the parties are unable to agree upon a single arbitrator, each party shall name an arbitrator and the two so named shall name a third arbitrator. The arbitration proceedings shall be heard by the arbitrator(s) and the decision of the arbitrator, or the majority of the panel if one has been selected, shall be final and binding on the parties. Judgment upon the arbitration award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. An Arbitration Notice must be served on the other party within one year from the date on which the claim arose, and failure to bring such a claim within such one-year period shall constitute a waiver of such claim and an absolute bar to any further proceedings in any forum with respect to it. All mediation and arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in Bangor, Maine, unless the parties otherwise agree in writing.
(c) The cost of any mediation proceeding under this Section 9 shall be paid entirely by the Employer. The cost of any arbitration proceeding will be shared equally by the parties to the dispute; provided, however, that, if the dispute is resolved in favor of the Executive, such cost shall be paid in full by the Employer. Each party shall be responsible for its own cost of representation and counsel.
GRIEVANCE AND ARBITRATION PROCEDURES A. A grievance is a dispute, claim, or complaint arising under this Agreement, filed by either an authorized representative of or an employee in the Bargaining Unit, or the County, involving the interpretation or application of this Agreement. All discipline shall be for just cause.
B. Grievances will be processed in the following manner and strictly in accordance with the following stated time limits:
Step 1. The aggrieved employee shall be accorded fifteen (15) working days from the occurrence of the action or event or when the employee has knowledge or should have had knowledge of the action or the event giving rise to the complaint to seek resolution on an informal basis. The Employee must discuss his alleged grievance with the Airport Fire Chief and the Fire Rescue Division Director. If informal resolution is not accomplished, the employee, if a Union member, must present the proposed grievance in writing to a Union officer on or before the fifteenth (15th) working day for consideration by the Union Grievance committee. If, in the Committee's opinion, no reasonable grievance exists, no further action may be taken.
Step 2. If the Committee wishes to pursue the member's complaint, a written grievance shall be presented to the Director of the Fire Rescue Division or his designee within twenty (20) working days from the occurrence of the action or event giving rise to the grievance or from the date on which the employee reasonably should have had knowledge of that occurrence. A written grievance must be presented on a grievance form provided by the County in Appendix A. Upon receipt of a formal grievance or a class action submitted by the Union, the Fire Rescue Division Director or his designee shall investigate the facts and conduct a meeting within five (5) working days with the aggrieved employee and any other persons possessing knowledge considered critical by the Director. The aggrieved employee may be accompanied at this meeting by a local Union representative. The Fire Rescue Division Director or his designee shall notify the grievant of his decision no later than five (5) working days following the date of the meeting.
Step 3. If the grievance is not resolved at the second step, the aggrieved employee shall present the written grievance within five (5) working days of the Step 2 decision to the Department Head. The Department Head or his designee shall investigate the facts and may conduct a hearing within five
Dispute Resolution; Arbitration This Agreement evidences a transaction involving interstate commerce. Any disputes arising from this Agreement shall be decided by binding arbitration which shall be conducted, at the request of any party, in New York, New York, before one arbitrator designated by the American Arbitration Association (the "AAA"), in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the AAA, and to the maximum extent applicable, the United States Arbitration Act (Title 9 of the United States Code). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any party may proceed to a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain equitable relief at any time. An arbitrator shall have no authority to award punitive damages or other damages not measured by the prevailing party's actual damages. To the maximum extent practicable, an arbitration proceeding under this Agreement shall be concluded within 180 days of the filing of the dispute with the AAA. This arbitration clause shall survive any termination, amendment, or expiration of the Agreement and if any provision of this arbitration clause is found to be unenforceable, the remaining parts of the arbitration clause shall not be affected and shall remain fully enforceable.
