Level 2 If the grievant is not satisfied with the written answer from his/her manager the grievant may, within ten (10) days from the receipt of such answer, file a written appeal to the appointing authority. Within ten (10) days of the receipt of the written appeal the appointing authority shall investigate the grievance, which shall include a meeting with the concerned parties, and thereafter shall give a written answer to the grievant within ten (10) days.
Level 4 If the Employee is not satisfied with the response of the Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services, the Employee may submit the grievance to the Superintendent within ten (10) days of the receipt of the response to Level 3. The Superintendent shall sign and date all copies when he/she receives them. The Superintendent shall respond in writing within ten (10) days of the above date. Either party may be accompanied by one other Employee or administrator.
Level 1 If an Employee wishes to submit a grievance, he/she shall first discuss the complaint with his/her immediate supervisor. The Grievance Committee representative and one administrator may also be present. This discussion must occur within ten (10) days of the event causing the complaint.
Level II In the event the grievance is not resolved in Level I, the decision rendered may be appealed to the Superintendent of Schools, provided such an appeal is made in writing within ten (10) days after receipt of the decision in Level
I. If a grievance is properly appealed to the Superintendent, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall meet regarding the grievance within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the appeal. Within ten (10) days after the meeting, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall issue a decision, in writing, to the parties involved.
Level IV a. If the grievant is not satisfied with the disposition of his/her grievance at Level III, he/she may file the grievance within five (5) days of the Level III response for transmittal to the Board.
b. The Board will hear the grievance at its next regularly scheduled meeting or a special meeting which has been called for that purpose. The Board shall transmit its written decision to the grievant within five (5) days of the meeting. The decision of the Board shall be final. Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to deny a grievant any appeal rights available under the law.
Level I If the grievance is not resolved through informal discussions, the School District designee shall give a written decision on the grievance to the parties involved within ten (10) days after receipt of the written grievance.
Level Four A. If within ten (10) school days following the formal third step the Association submits a request to the Superintendent to enter into arbitration, the Superintendent 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 an arbitrator or to obtain such a commitment within ten (10) school days, a written request for a list of arbitrators shall be made to the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) by either party. The list shall consist of seven (7) potential arbitrators and the parties shall determine by lot which party shall have the right to remove the first name from the list. The party having the right to remove the first name shall do so within two (2) school days. Then the parties shall have one (1) school day alternately to remove until one (1) name remains. The person whose name remains shall be the arbitrator.
B. The arbitrator so selected shall confer with the Superintendent and the Association and hold hearings promptly and shall issue his/her decision not later than fifteen (15) school days from the date of the close of the hearings, or, if oral hearings have been waived, then from the date the final statements and proofs on the issues are submitted to him/her. The arbitrator's decision shall be in writing and shall set forth his/her findings of fact, reasoning, and conclusions of the issues submitted. The arbitrator's decision shall have no power to alter, add to, or detract from the specific provisions of the Agreement. No decision of the arbitrator shall in any way be derogation of the powers, duties, and rights established in the Board by constitutional provisions, statue, ordinance, or special legislative acts. The decision of the arbitrator shall be submitted to the Superintendent and the Association and shall be final and binding on the parties.
C. The costs of the services of the arbitrator will be borne equally by the Board and the Association.
D. If the grievant files any claim or complaint in any forum other than under the grievance procedure of this Master Contract Agreement, then the school district shall not be required to process the same claim or set of facts through this grievance procedure.
Level III In the event the grievance is not resolved in Level II, the decision rendered may be appealed to the School Board, provided such an appeal is made in writing within ten (10) days after receipt of the decision in Level II. If a grievance is properly appealed to the School Board, the School District shall hear the grievance within twenty (20) days after the receipt of the appeal. Within twenty (20) days after the meeting the School Board shall issue its decision in writing to the parties involved. At the option of the School Board, a committee or representative(s) of the School District may be designated by the School Board to hear the appeal at this level, and report its findings and recommendations to the School District. The School District shall then render its decision.
Level Five i. If the grievant is not satisfied with the disposition of the grievance at Level Four, the Association may submit the grievance to advisory arbitration not later than fifteen (15) school days after receipt of the decision by the Board.
ii. Within ten (10) school days after such submission for arbitration, the Board and the Association shall attempt to agree upon a mutually acceptable arbitrator. If the parties are unable to agree upon an arbitrator, either shall request the Public Employment Relations Commission to appoint an arbitrator.
iii. The arbitrator shall confer with the representative of the Board and of the Association and shall proceed with a hearing and submit a written report in the shortest possible time setting 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 the Agreement. The decision of the arbitrator shall be advisory only to the Board and the Association.
iv. The costs for the services of the arbitrator, including per diem expenses and actual 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.
v. If time is lost by any teacher due to arbitration proceedings necessitating the retention of a substitute, the Board of Education will pay only the cost of the substitute; the time lost by the teacher must either be without pay or charged to personal time; however, if the arbitrator subpoenas a teacher to attend the arbitration proceedings as a witness, this teacher shall not suffer loss of pay.
vi. Notwithstanding the above, the parties agree that in not more than one (1) arbitration per contract year (non-cumulative) may be submitted to an arbitrator, whose decision shall be final and binding upon both parties. The Association shall have the right to designate which arbitration shall be so binding, provided such designation is made and communicated in writing prior to the commencement of the arbitration in question. The Association's choice shall be limited to a grievance which must have reached Level Two of the grievance procedure in any contract year governed by the agreement.
vii. Notwithstanding the above, the parties agree that any dispute which involves a disagreement as to whether the health insurance benefits provided employees herein are equal to or better than the health insurance benefits heretofore provided employees through the New Jersey Public and School Employees Health Benefits Plan may be submitted to an arbitrator whose decision shall be final and binding on both parties.
Staffing Levels To the extent legislative appropriations and PIN authorizations allow, safe staffing levels will be maintained in all institutions where employees have patient, client, inmate or student care responsibilities. In July of each year, the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of each agency will, upon request, meet with the Union, to hear the employees’ views regarding staffing levels. In August of each year, the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of Budget and Management will, upon request, meet with the Union to hear the employees’ views regarding the Governor’s budget request.
