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.
Sole Arbitrator In the event that one party wishes to submit a grievance to Arbitration and is content that the matter be dealt with by a Sole Arbitrator as opposed to a tripartite Board of Arbitration as hereinbefore referred to, the party submitting the grievance to arbitration shall so signify when advising the other party and shall advise as to three (3) alternative choices as to a Sole Arbitrator in addition to that party's nominee to a tripartite board. The recipient of the notice shall in reply advise as to its nominee to a tripartite board and three (3) alternative choices as to a Sole Arbitrator. If the parties can agree to a Sole Arbitrator within twenty (20) days of the notice referring the matter to arbitration the matter shall be determined by a Sole Arbitrator and failing such agreement the regular Arbitration procedure shall apply.
qualified arbitrators The parties shall each strike two (2) names from the list and the remaining person shall be accepted as the arbitrator. The first party to strike will be determined by the flip of a coin.
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.
Single Arbitrator Either of the parties to this Agreement is, in such event, to notify the other party in writing of its desire to submit the matter in dispute to arbitration and if the recipient of the said notice and the party desiring the arbitration do not, within a period of ten (10) days after the receipt of the said notice, agree upon a single arbitrator the appointment of a single arbitrator shall be made by the Minister of Labour for the Province of Ontario upon the request of either party.
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.
Expenses of Arbitrator Each Party shall pay one-half (½) of the fees and expenses of the Arbitrator.
Arbitrators (a) Within fifteen days after a valid Arbitration Demand Notice is given, the parties involved in the dispute, controversy or claim referenced therein shall attempt to select a sole arbitrator satisfactory to all such parties.
(b) If such parties are not able jointly to select a sole arbitrator within such fifteen-day period, such parties shall each appoint an arbitrator within thirty days after delivery of the Arbitration Demand Notice. If one party appoints an arbitrator within such time period and the other party or parties fail to appoint an arbitrator within such time period, the arbitrator appointed by the one party shall be the sole arbitrator of the matter.
(c) If a sole arbitrator is not selected pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) above and, instead, two or more arbitrators are selected pursuant to paragraph (b) above, the arbitrators shall, within thirty days after the appointment of the later of them to be appointed, select an additional arbitrator who shall act as the sole arbitrator of the dispute. After selection of such sole arbitrator, the initial arbitrators shall have no further role with respect to the dispute. In the event that the arbitrators so appointed do not, within thirty days after the appointment of the later of them to be appointed, agree on the selection of the sole arbitrator, any party involved in such dispute may apply to the American Arbitration Association to select the sole arbitrator, which selection shall be made by such organization within thirty days after such application. Any arbitrator selected pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall be disinterested with respect to any of the parties and the matter and shall be reasonably competent in the applicable subject matter.
(d) The sole arbitrator selected pursuant to paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above shall set a time for the hearing of the matter which will commence no later than ninety days after the date of appointment of the sole arbitrator pursuant to paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above and which hearing will be no longer than thirty days (unless in the judgment of the arbitrator the matter is unusually complex and sophisticated and thereby requires a longer time, in which event such hearing shall be no longer than ninety days). The final decision of such arbitrator will be rendered in writing to the parties not later than sixty days after the last hearing date, unless otherwise agreed by the parties in writing.
(e) The place of any arbitration hereunder will be New York, New York, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
Mediation/Arbitration a. In the event of any dispute under this Agreement, the parties hereto desire to avoid litigation. Accordingly, the aggrieved party will give notice of the dispute to the other party and both parties will attempt to settle the dispute during the thirty (30) day period following such notice. If such dispute remains unsettled, the parties agree to then submit such dispute to mediation. If the parties cannot agree on a mediator, each will select a mediator and the two chosen mediators will select a third mediator who shall alone hear the dispute. Such mediation will, if possible, be conducted during the sixty (60) day period following expiration of the thirty (30) day period. If such mediation fails to resolve the dispute, the parties agree such dispute will be submitted to final and binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. Unless otherwise directed by the arbitrator, such arbitration must be concluded within ninety (90) days of the expiration of the sixty (60) day period previously specified for mediation. If the parties cannot agree on a single arbitrator, each will select an arbitrator, and the two chosen arbitrators will select a third arbitrator who shall alone decide the dispute. Any mediation or arbitration conducted hereunder will be conducted in Knoxville, Tennessee. The parties hereto shall equally share the costs of mediation (including the mediator’s fees and expenses and costs directly related to the conduct of the mediation, but excluding each party’s direct costs for transportation, attorneys, etc., for which each will be responsible). If any party fails to participate in mediation or arbitration after receipt of notice thereof, then each party hereto agrees that the other party shall have the right to proceed immediately to arbitration and that such other party shall be entitled to select the arbitrator in its sole discretion. Each party further agrees that, in such event, such arbitrator shall have the right to decide the dispute as if the non- participating party were participating in the arbitration and that such decision shall be final and binding upon each party hereto.
Selecting an Arbitrator The parties will select an arbitrator by mutual agreement or by alternately striking names supplied by the AAA, and will follow the Labor Arbitration Rules of the AAA unless they agree otherwise in writing.
