Deadlock Unless otherwise expressly set forth herein, in the event the Members are unable to reach agreement on or make a decision with respect to any matter on which the Members are entitled to vote, the matter shall be subject to the Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure described in Article 13 hereof.
Negotiation Period The Parties shall negotiate in good faith and attempt to resolve any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement (a “Dispute”) within 30 days after the date that a Party gives written notice of such Dispute to the other Party.
Mediation In the event of any dispute arising under or in connection with this Agreement, before either party may initiate arbitration pursuant to Section 5.2 below, ICANN and Registry Operator must attempt to resolve the dispute through mediation in accordance with the following terms and conditions:
(a) A party shall submit a dispute to mediation by written notice to the other party. The mediation shall be conducted by a single mediator selected by the parties. If the parties cannot agree on a mediator within fifteen (15) calendar days of delivery of written notice pursuant to this Section 5.1, the parties will promptly select a mutually acceptable mediation provider entity, which entity shall, as soon as practicable following such entity’s selection, designate a mediator, who is a licensed attorney with general knowledge of contract law, has no ongoing business relationship with either party and, to the extent necessary to mediate the particular dispute, general knowledge of the domain name system. Any mediator must confirm in writing that he or she is not, and will not become during the term of the mediation, an employee, partner, executive officer, director, or security holder of ICANN or Registry Operator. If such confirmation is not provided by the appointed mediator, then a replacement mediator shall be appointed pursuant to this Section 5.1(a).
(b) The mediator shall conduct the mediation in accordance with the rules and procedures that he or she determines following consultation with the parties. The parties shall discuss the dispute in good faith and attempt, with the mediator’s assistance, to reach an amicable resolution of the dispute. The mediation shall be treated as a settlement discussion and shall therefore be confidential and may not be used against either party in any later proceeding relating to the dispute, including any arbitration pursuant to Section 5.2. The mediator may not testify for either party in any later proceeding relating to the dispute.
(c) Each party shall bear its own costs in the mediation. The parties shall share equally the fees and expenses of the mediator. Each party shall treat information received from the other party pursuant to the mediation that is appropriately marked as confidential (as required by Section 7.15) as Confidential Information of such other party in accordance with Section 7.15.
(d) If the parties have engaged in good faith participation in the mediation but have not resolved the dispute for any reason, either party or the mediator may terminate the mediation at any time and the dispute can then proceed to arbitration pursuant to Section 5.2 below. If the parties have not resolved the dispute for any reason by the date that is ninety (90) calendar days following the date of the notice delivered pursuant to Section 5.1(a), the mediation shall automatically terminate (unless extended by agreement of the parties) and the dispute can then proceed to arbitration pursuant to Section 5.2 below.
Mandatory Mediation Prior to and as a condition of either Party’s filing suit in state or federal court, the Parties shall engage in a mediated settlement conference in accordance with the North Carolina Superior Court Rules Implementing Statewide Mediation. The Parties shall mediate in good faith until settlement is reached or an impasse is declared by the mediator.
Optional Mediation The Parties may mutually agree to non-binding mediation:
(a) If the grievance is not resolved at Step 3, either Party may request that a Mediator be appointed to meet with the Parties, investigate and define the issues in dispute and facilitate a resolution.
(b) The Mediator shall be appointed by mutual agreement between the Parties.
(c) The purpose of the Mediator's involvement in the grievance process is to assist the Parties in reaching a resolution of the dispute, and anything said, proposed, generated or prepared for the purpose of trying to achieve a settlement is to be considered privileged and will not be used for any other purpose.
(d) The expenses of the Mediator shall be equally borne by both Parties.
(e) The grievance may be resolved by mutual agreement between the Parties.
Voluntary Mediation a) The central parties may, on mutual agreement, request the assistance of a mediator.
b) Where the central parties have agreed to mediation, the cost shall be shared equally between the central parties.
c) Timelines shall be suspended for the period of mediation.
Dispute Resolution; Mediation (a) Either party may commence the dispute resolution process of this Section 8.2 by giving the other party written notice (a “Dispute Notice”) of any controversy, claim or dispute of whatever nature arising out of or relating to or in connection with this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or the breach, termination, enforceability or validity thereof (a “Dispute”) which has not been resolved in the normal course of business or as provided in the relevant Ancillary Agreement. The parties shall attempt in good faith to resolve any Dispute by negotiation between executives of each party (“Senior Party Representatives”) who have authority to settle the Dispute and, unless discussions between the parties are already at a senior management level, who are at a higher level of management than the Persons who have direct responsibility for the administration of this Agreement or the relevant Ancillary Agreement. Within fifteen (15) days after delivery of the Dispute Notice, the receiving party shall submit to the other a written response (the “Response”). The Dispute Notice and the Response shall include (i) a statement setting forth the position of the party giving such notice and a summary of arguments supporting such position and (ii) the name and title of such party’s Senior Party Representative and any other Persons who will accompany the Senior Party Representative at the meeting at which the parties will attempt to settle the Dispute. Within thirty (30) days after the delivery of the Dispute Notice, the Senior Party Representatives of both parties shall meet at a mutually acceptable time and place, and thereafter as often as they reasonably deem necessary, to attempt to resolve the Dispute. The parties shall cooperate in good faith with respect to any reasonable requests for exchanges of Information regarding the Dispute or a Response thereto.
(b) If the Dispute has not been resolved within sixty (60) days after delivery of the Dispute Notice, or if the parties fail to meet within thirty (30) days after delivery of the Dispute Notice as hereinabove provided, the parties shall make a good faith attempt to settle the Dispute by mediation pursuant to the provisions of this Section 8.2 before resorting to arbitration contemplated by Section 8.3 or any other dispute resolution procedure that may be agreed by the parties.
(c) All negotiations, conferences and discussions pursuant to this Section 8.2 shall be confidential and shall be treated as compromise and settlement negotiations. Nothing said or disclosed, nor any document produced, in the course of such negotiations, conferences and discussions that is not otherwise independently discoverable shall be offered or received as evidence or used for impeachment or for any other purpose in any current or future arbitration.
(d) Unless the parties agree otherwise, the mediation shall be conducted in accordance with the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution Model Procedure for Mediation of Business Disputes in effect on the date of this Agreement by a mediator mutually selected by the parties.
(e) Within thirty (30) days after the mediator has been selected as provided above, both parties and their respective attorneys shall meet with the mediator for one (1) mediation session, it being agreed that each party representative attending such mediation session shall be a Senior Party Representative with authority to settle the Dispute. If the Dispute cannot be settled at such mediation session or at any mutually agreed continuation thereof, either party may give the other and the mediator a written notice declaring the mediation process at an end.
(f) Costs of the mediation shall be borne equally by the parties involved in the matter, except that each party shall be responsible for its own expenses.
(g) Any Dispute regarding the following matters is not required to be negotiated or mediated prior to seeking relief from an arbitrator or, if applicable, from a court pursuant to Section 10.14: (i) breach of any obligation of confidentiality or waiver of Privilege; and (ii) any other claim where interim relief is sought to prevent serious and irreparable injury to one of the parties. However, the parties to the Dispute shall make a good faith effort to negotiate and mediate such Dispute, according to the above procedures, while such arbitration is pending.
Central Dispute Resolution Committee a) There shall be established a Central Dispute Resolution Committee (CDRC), which shall be composed of two (2) representatives from each of the central parties, and two (2) representatives of the Crown.
b) The Committee shall meet at the request of one of the central parties.
c) The central parties shall each have the following rights:
i. To file a dispute as a grievance with the Committee.
ii. To engage in settlement discussions, and to mutually settle a grievance with the consent of the Crown.
iii. To withdraw a grievance.
iv. To mutually agree to refer a grievance to the local grievance procedure.
v. To mutually agree to voluntary mediation.
vi. To refer a grievance to final and binding arbitration at any time.
d) The Crown shall have the following rights:
i. To give or withhold approval to any proposed settlement between the central parties.
ii. To participate in voluntary mediation.
iii. To intervene in any matter referred to arbitration.
e) Only a central party may file a grievance and refer it to the Committee for discussion and review. No grievance can be referred to arbitration without three (3) days prior notice to the Committee.
f) It shall be the responsibility of each central party to inform their respective local parties of the Committee’s disposition of the dispute at each step in the central dispute resolution process including mediation and arbitration, and to direct them accordingly.
g) Each of the central parties and the Crown shall be responsible for their own costs for the central dispute resolution process.
Grievance Mediation Nothing in this Article precludes the Parties from mutually agreeing to grievance mediation during any stage of the grievance procedure. The agreement shall be made in writing and stipulate the name of the person and the time line for grievance mediation to occur.
Impasse 5.1 If negotiations are not successfully concluded by the first day of school, an impasse shall exist. At any earlier time following the initial negotiation session, either party may declare an impasse, or, by mutual agreement of the parties, the date for declaring impasse may be extended beyond the first day of school.
5.2 Within three (3) days of such declaration, the parties may, by mutual agreement, request the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
5.3 If the mediation process has been utilized and has failed to bring about agreement on all items, or if the mediation process was not utilized, the unresolved items shall be submitted to fact finding as follows:
5.3.1 A fact-finding committee consisting of three (3) members shall be formed. One
(1) member shall be selected by USPA and one (1) member shall be selected by the Board within five (5) days. The third member shall be selected by the first two (2) members within fifteen (15) days as follows: The parties shall notify the State Superintendent of Public Instruction that a fact finder is needed and request a list of five (5) potential fact finders. If no name is agreeable to both parties, a coin toss shall occur with the party winning the toss having the right to strike a name from the list. The parties will then continue alternately striking names off the list until only one (1) name remains. The remaining name shall be considered as the parties' selection as the third member and shall be the chairperson of the fact-finding committee.
5.3.2 The committee shall meet with the Board's designated representatives and with USPA's designated representatives for the purpose of fact finding.
5.3.3 Within five (5) days after the selection of a chairperson, the representatives of the parties shall meet to exchange written language on each item at impasse. The exchanged documents shall be furnished to the chairperson and other members of the committee. Each item being submitted to fact finding shall show the last position taken by each negotiating team.
5.3.4 The cost for the services of the fact-finding committee including per diem expenses, if any, and actual and necessary travel expenses shall be shared in the following manner: The Board shall assume the expenses of the representative selected by the Board, USPA shall assume the expenses of the representative selected by their organization, and the expenses of the third member shall be shared equally by the Board and USPA.
5.3.5 The fact-finding committee shall have authority to establish procedural rules, conduct investigations, and hold hearings during which each party shall be given an opportunity to present its case with supporting evidence.
5.3.6 All hearings by the fact-finding committee shall be conducted in closed session.
5.3.7 The chairperson shall convene the committee for fact finding. The committee shall meet with the representative of both parties and, within twenty (20) days after the fact-finding hearing, shall present its written recommendation to the Board and USPA. The report shall set forth findings of fact and recommendations on the issues submitted.
5.3.8 If either party decides it must reject one or more of the committee's recommendations, said party must, within seven (7) days after the committee has presented its recommendations, request a meeting of the representatives who have been negotiating for the Board and USPA. The parties shall meet within seven (7) days of the request, unless both parties deem it unnecessary. At such meeting, the parties shall exchange written statements expressing each party's rationale for rejecting each recommendation found unacceptable and shall attempt to clarify any remaining differences. The representatives shall then resume a good faith effort to resolve differences; provided, after fourteen (14) days after the exchange of written statements, as provided for by this section, either party may discontinue such effort.
