Initial Mediation of Dispute. In the event of a dispute regarding this Agreement between the Parties to this Agreement, the following procedure shall be used to resolve the dispute prior to either party pursuing other remedies:
Initial Mediation of Dispute. In the event any dispute should arise with regard to performance or interpretation of any of the terms of this Agreement and the Parties are unable to resolve such dispute through the Grievance and Appeals process, the Parties may choose to submit the dispute to mediation prior to either Party pursuing arbitration. Notification to the other Party must be made prior to any Demand for Arbitration having been filed. The Party choosing mediation shall designate an organization or a company specializing in providing neutral, third-party mediators. The mediation process shall be coordinated by the requesting Party with the mediator and be subject to the following agreed-upon conditions: the Parties agree to participate in the mediation in good faith; Both Parties will be represented at the mediation meeting by individuals with full decision-making authority regarding the matters in dispute; the mediation meeting will be held within 60 days of the initial request, unless the Parties mutually agree on a later date; the Parties shall each bear their own costs and shall each pay one-half of the mediator’s fees.
