Step 4 - Arbitration a. If the Union is dissatisfied with the written decision at Step 2 or if the mediation is not successful, within twenty-five (25) days of the Step 2 meeting, the Union may advance the grievance to arbitration. Only the Union (not an individual Bargaining Unit Faculty member) may process a grievance to arbitration.
b. Within thirty (30) days of notice of proceeding to arbitration, the Union and the College shall select an impartial third party to be Arbitrator. In the event the parties cannot agree on the selection of an impartial third party, they shall request a list of Arbitrators from Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
c. Within five (5) days of receipt of the list, the parties shall alternately strike names from the list until one name remains. The person whose name remains shall be the Arbitrator.
d. Each party shall bear the expense of preparing and presenting its own case. The costs of the arbitration proceedings, including compensation, fees and expenses of the Arbitrator, and the cost of any hearing transcript, shall be borne equally by the College and the Union. Unless otherwise mutually agreed, each arbitration hearing shall deal with no more than one (1) grievance.
e. Subject to the availability of the Arbitrator selected, arbitration shall begin within thirty (30) days unless a delay is agreed upon by both parties.
f. The Arbitrator shall have no power to add to, subtract from, modify or disregard any of the provisions of this Agreement. The decision of the Arbitrator shall be final and binding on the parties, although each side retains whatever rights it has under state or federal law to challenge the decision and award. The Arbitrator shall have no jurisdiction or authority to issue any award changing, modifying or restricting any action taken by the College on matters committed to the College’s discretion under Article 23, Management Rights, which are not further abridged by other terms of this Agreement. Jurisdiction shall extend solely to claims of violation of specific written provisions of the Agreement and involve only the interpretation and application of the Agreement.
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.
Expedited Arbitration (a) The Parties may by mutual agreement refer to expedited arbitration any outstanding grievances considered suitable for this process, and shall set dates and locations for hearings of groups of grievances considered suitable for expedited arbitration.
(b) All grievances shall be considered suitable for and resolvable by expedited arbitration except grievances in the nature of:
(1) dismissals;
(2) rejection on probation;
(3) suspensions in excess of twenty (20) workdays;
(4) policy grievances;
(5) grievances requiring substantial interpretation of a provision of the Collective Agreement;
(6) grievances requiring presentation of extrinsic evidence;
(7) grievances where a Party intends to raise a preliminary objection; and
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.
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.
Step Four - Arbitration 1. With respect to all non-disciplinary grievances and disciplinary cases involving the discharge, suspension of three (3) days or more, or the reduction in rank, the OPBA may make a written request that the decision of the underlying grievance be submitted to binding arbitration pursuant to Step Four, hereunder. A written request for appellate arbitration must be submitted to the other party within fourteen (14) calendar days following such party’s receipt of the written decision at Step 3. In the event the decision at Step 3 is not referred to arbitration within the time limits prescribed, the decision of the Trustees or Designee shall be final and binding upon the OPBA, the member and the Township.
2. Upon receipt of a request for appellate arbitration, the Township and the OPBA shall, within fourteen (14) calendar days following the request for arbitration, jointly agree to an arbitrator or request a list of seven (7) impartial arbitrators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). Upon receipt of the list of seven (7) arbitrators, the parties shall meet to select an arbitrator within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the list is received. The parties shall use the alternate strike method from the list of seven (7) arbitrators submitted to the parties by the FMCS. The party requesting the arbitration shall be the first (1st) to strike a name and alternate in this manner until one (1) name remains on the list. The remaining name shall be designated as the arbitrator to hear the dispute in question. Either party shall have the right to elect to reject the list in its entirety and to request the submission of a new seven (7) member panel, which election may only be exercised once. All procedures relative to the hearing shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the FMCS. The arbitrator shall hold the appellate arbitration promptly and issue a decision within a reasonable time thereafter.
3. The arbitrator shall determine the grievance in accordance with the terms of the Agreement in effect on the date of the incident giving rise to the grievance.
4. The arbitrator shall not have the authority to add to, subtract from, modify, change or alter any provision of this Agreement. The arbitrator shall be confined solely to the issues submitted for arbitration. The arbitrator shall not establish any new or different wage rates not negotiated as part of this Agreement. In cases of discharge, suspension or reduction in rank, the arbitrator shall have the authority to order modification of said discipline for the offense charged. In the event of a monetary award, the arbitrator shall limit any retroactive settlement to no earlier time than forty-five (45) calendar days prior to the date the grievance was presented to the Township in Step One of the Grievance Procedure.
5. The question of arbitrability of a grievance may be raised by either party before the arbitration hearing of the grievance, on the grounds that the matter is non- arbitrable or beyond the arbitrator’s jurisdiction. The first question to be placed before the arbitrator will be whether or not the alleged grievance is arbitrable. If the arbitrator determines the grievance is not arbitrable, the arbitrator shall render no decision on the merits.
6. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding upon the OPBA, the member and the Township. Any cost involved in obtaining the list of arbitrators shall be equally divided between the Township and the OPBA. All costs directly related to the services of the arbitrator shall be paid by the losing party. Expenses, if any, of the witnesses shall be borne by the party calling the witness except that member witnesses on duty time shall not lose any wages due from the Township. The fees of the court reporter shall be paid by the party asking for one. The fees of the court reporter shall be split equally if both parties desire a court reporter’s recording, or request a copy of any transcript. The Township shall not incur any overtime expense as a result of this Step.
Step Five – Arbitration 1. In the event the grievance is not referred to arbitration within the time limits prescribed, the grievance shall be considered resolved based upon the Step Four reply.
2. Upon receipt of a request for arbitration, the Township and the Lodge shall, jointly agree to an Arbitrator or request a list of seven (7) impartial labor Arbitrators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) who have a business or residential address in Ohio and who are members of the National Academy of Arbitrators. Upon receipt of the list of seven (7) arbitrators, the parties shall select an arbitrator. The parties shall use the alternate strike method from the list of seven (7) arbitrators submitted to the parties by the FMCS. The first strike shall be by coin-toss and the parties shall then alternate in this manner until one (1) name remains on the list. The remaining name shall be designated as the Arbitrator to hear the dispute in question. Either party shall have the right to elect to reject the list in its entirety and to request the submission of a new seven (7) member panel, which election may only be exercised once. If the Lodge and Township have not jointly agreed to an arbitrator or neither party has made a request to the FMCS for a list of seven (7) arbitrators within 60 days of the Lodge’s written notice to arbitrate the grievance, the grievance shall be considered resolved and the issue will no longer be subject to the arbitration process. All procedures relative to the hearing shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the FMCS. The Arbitrator shall hold the arbitration promptly and issue a decision within a reasonable time thereafter.
3. The Arbitrator shall determine the grievance in accordance with the terms of the Agreement in effect on the date of the incident giving rise to the grievance.
4. The Arbitrator shall not have the authority to add to, subtract from, modify, change or alter any provision of this Agreement. The Arbitrator shall be confined solely to the issues submitted for arbitration. The Arbitrator shall not establish any new or different wage rates not negotiated as part of this Agreement. In cases of discharge or of suspension the Arbitrator shall have the authority to order modification of said discipline for the offense charged. In the event of a monetary award, the Arbitrator shall limit any retroactive settlement to no earlier time than forty-five (45) calendar days prior to the date the grievance was first presented.
5. The question of arbitrability of a grievance may be raised by either party before the arbitration hearing of the grievance, on the grounds that the matter is non-arbitrable or beyond the arbitrator's jurisdiction. The first question to be placed before the Arbitrator will be whether or not alleged grievance is arbitrable. If the Arbitrator determines the grievance is not arbitrable, the Arbitrator shall render no decision on the merits.
6. The decision of the Arbitrator shall be final and binding upon the Lodge, the member and the Township. Any cost involved in obtaining the list of arbitrators shall be equally divided between the Township and the Lodge. All costs directly related to the service of the Arbitrator shall be divided equally between the Township and the Lodge. Expenses, if any, of the witnesses shall be borne by the party calling the witness, except that member witnesses on duty time shall not lose any wages due from the Township. The fees of the court reporter shall be paid by the party asking for one. The fees of the court reporter shall be split equally if both parties desire a court reporter's recording, or request a copy of any transcript. The Township shall not incur any overtime expense as a result of this provision.
Disputes; Arbitration (a) If a dispute arises between the parties, the parties agree that their respective representatives shall meet and consult in good faith and attempt to settle the dispute, within thirty (30) days of written notice thereof, as a condition precedent to the initiation of arbitration proceedings as set forth herein. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the parties hereto agree that any and all disputes with respect to any claim pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association by a panel of three (3) arbitrators appointed pursuant to such Rules, and judgment upon the award rendered by such arbitrators may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Such arbitrators shall not have the authority or power to reform, alter, amend or modify any of the terms or conditions of this Agreement or to enter an award which reforms, alters, amends or modifies such terms or conditions. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the arbitrators shall have no authority to award any punitive damages except upon proof of fraud with intent to deceive. The decision of such arbitrators shall be in writing, setting forth both findings of fact and conclusions of law, and shall be final and conclusive upon the parties; and no suit at law or in equity based on such dispute, controversy or claim shall be instituted by any party hereto, other than to enforce the award of such arbitrators. Such arbitration shall be conducted in Denver, Colorado or in such other location as the parties thereto may agree.
(b) In the event of a dispute, the prevailing party shall be entitled to be reimbursed by the non-prevailing party or parties for such prevailing party's reasonable attorney's fees and other expenses.
(c) The parties agree that as precondition to the commencement of arbitration by any party, the dispute must be submitted to non-binding mediation with a mediator agreed to by both parties. If the parties cannot agree on a mediator within fourteen (14) days from the date of a request for mediation, the dispute will be mediated by a person selected in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association.
Level Four - Arbitration a. Within ten (10) school days after such written notice of submission to arbitration, the Board and the Association shall attempt to agree upon a mutually acceptable Arbitrator and shall obtain a commitment from said Arbitrator to serve. If the parties are unable to agree upon a mutually acceptable Arbitrator, or obtain such a commitment within the specified period, a request for a list of Arbitrators may be made to the Public Employment Relations Commission by either party. The parties shall then be bound by the rules and procedures of the Public Employment Relations Commission in selection of an Arbitrator.
b. The Arbitrator so selected shall confer with the Committee of the Board and the Aggrieved Person and Association representative, and hold hearings promptly and shall issue his decision not later than twenty (20) days from the date of the close of the hearings, or if oral closings have been waived, then from the date the final statements and proofs on the issues are submitted to him. The Arbitrator's decision shall be in writing and shall set forth his findings of fact, reasoning and conclusions on the issues submitted. The Arbitrator shall be without power or authority to make any decision which requires the commission of an act prohibited by law, or which is violative of the terms of this Agreement. The decision of the Arbitrator shall be submitted to the Board and the Aggrieved Person and Association representative, and shall be final and binding on the parties. The Arbitrator shall be limited to the issues submitted and shall consider nothing else. The Arbitrator can add nothing to, nor subtract anything from the Agreement between the parties.
c. The costs for the services of the Arbitrator, including per diem expenses, if any, and actual and necessary travel, subsistence expenses, and the cost of the hearing room, shall be borne equally by the Board and the Association. Any other expenses incurred shall be paid by the party incurring same.
Settlement of Disputes; Arbitration All claims by the Executive for benefits under this Agreement shall be directed to and determined by the Board of Directors of the Company and shall be in writing. Any denial by the Board of Directors of a claim for benefits under this Agreement shall be delivered to the Executive in writing and shall set forth the specific reasons for the denial and the specific provisions of this Agreement relied upon. The Board of Directors shall afford a reasonable opportunity to the Executive for a review of the decision denying a claim. Any further dispute or controversy arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be settled exclusively by arbitration in Boston, Massachusetts, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrator's award in any court having jurisdiction.
