GRIEVANCE MEDIATION (OPTIONAL. Prior to selecting and scheduling the arbitrator, the SPFPA state-wide representative may initiate a request for grievance mediation by serving upon the Office of the Chancellor Labor Relations and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation a written notice requesting mediation. Agreement to such request shall be voluntary on the part of the Office of the Chancellor. If the parties are unable to resolve the grievance through mediation the grievance will be scheduled for arbitration.
GRIEVANCE MEDIATION (OPTIONAL. In the event the grievance is not settled at Step 2 the Union may initiate the request for grievance mediation by serving upon the OOC Labor Relations Department representative and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation a written notice requesting the Bureau to mediate a settlement of the grievance within fifteen (15) working days after the response from Step 2 is due. This appeal deadline may be extended by mutual agreement between the OOC Labor Relations Department representative and the Union. Agreement to such a request shall be voluntary on the part of the Office of the Chancellor.
GRIEVANCE MEDIATION (OPTIONAL. 1. A grievance may be taken to mediation by mutual consent of the parties. The parties must agree to the mediation process within seven (7) days of the Step Three decision.
GRIEVANCE MEDIATION (OPTIONAL. In the event the grievance is not settled at Step 2 the SPFPA state-wide representative may initiate the request for grievance mediation by the SPFPA state-wide representative serving upon the OOC Labor Relations Department representative and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation a written notice requesting the Bureau to mediate a settlement of the grievance within fifteen (15) working days after the response from Step 3 is due. This appeal deadline may be extended by mutual agreement between the OOC Labor Relations Department representative and the SPFPA state-wide representative. Agreement to such a request shall be voluntary on the part of the Office of the Chancellor.
GRIEVANCE MEDIATION (OPTIONAL. If the grievance is not settled at Step 3, the Union and the County may agree to submit the grievance to mediation. Within twenty (20) working days of such agreement, the two (2) parties shall agree upon a mediator. The mediator will not have authority to compel resolution of the grievance. The parties will not be limited solely to the facts and arguments presented at earlier steps of the grievance procedure. No transcript or record of the mediation conference will be made, nor will formal rules of evidence be followed. If a settlement is not reached in mediation, the grievance may be appealed to arbitration in accordance with the procedure in Step 5 below. In this case, the mediator may not serve as arbitrator, nor may any party reference the fact that a mediation conference was held or not held. Nothing said or done by the mediator in mediation or settlement discussions may be referenced or introduced into evidence at the arbitration hearing.
GRIEVANCE MEDIATION (OPTIONAL. Step). Grievance mediation is an optional and voluntary part of the grievance resolution process. It is a supplement to, not a substitute for, grievance arbitration. When both parties have agreed to grievance mediation, the contractual time limit for moving the grievance to arbitration shall be suspended for the period of mediation.
GRIEVANCE MEDIATION (OPTIONAL. Either the Employer or Union may request to the other, in writing, within fourteen (14) calendar days of the written response at Step 3, to submit a grievance that is subject to arbitration to non-binding mediation or directly to Step 5. Upon mutual agreement of the Employer and the Union to mediation, each party shall bear the expense of its own representation, and all other expenses incidental to the mediation shall be divided equally. The parties may utilize the grievance mediation services provided by the Public Employment Relations Commission. If mediation is agreed to, the parties shall hold timelines of the grievance in abeyance until the conclusion of mediation. If the grievance is not settled in Step 4 either the Employer or the Union may submit the issue in writing to arbitration within twenty-one (21) calendar days after conclusion of Step 4.
