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 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 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 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 Four If the Association is not satisfied with the disposition of the grievance at Level Three or if the grievant is not represented by the Association, the grievant may submit the grievance to arbitration before an impartial arbitrator, using the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS). In order to submit the grievance to arbitration, both the Superintendent and FMCS must receive written and timely notice that the grievance is proceeding to arbitration within twenty (20) days following receipt of the Level Three disposition and that the Association, (if the Association is representing the grievant), or grievant, if the association is not representing the grievant has submitted the grievance to FMCS for arbitration within that time limit.
1. If the District does not agree within ten (10) days of receipt of the written notice, that the matter is arbitrable, the District shall notify the Grievant and the Association, in writing, that it disagrees as to the arbitrability of the grievance. The Parties agree that in such instances, an arbitrator will be selected, according to the rules of FMCS, to determine the question of arbitrability and if found to be arbitrable, to then determine the substantive issue. If there is no objection by the District to the arbitrability of the grievance, the Parties shall proceed to arbitrate the substantive grievance issue on its merits.
2. The District and the Association (or the grievant if the Association is not representing the grievant) agree to make available, upon specific written request to the other, such information as is necessary to effectively process grievance. The cost of gathering the information shall be borne by the requesting Party in accordance with Florida Statutes. Requests for such information shall allow a reasonable time prior to the Level Four hearing (except that if the arbitration hearing is to determine arbitrability, then a reasonable time before a hearing is set or the purpose) for collection of requested information. Neither the District nor the Association (nor the grievant, if the grievant is not represented by the Association) shall be permitted to assert in such arbitration proceeding any ground or rely on any evidence which had been specifically requested by the opposite Party but which was not previously disclosed to the requesting Party.
3. If the Parties cannot mutually agree to an arbitrator within seven (7) days of the receipt of the list of arbitrators from FMCS, then the arbitrator will be selected by FMCS in accordance with its rules. The arbitrator shall have no power to add to, subtract from, modify or alter the terms of the Agreement. The arbitrator will conduct a hearing, shall render his/her decision in writing within (30) days after the close of the arbitration hearing and shall furnish a copy to the Association/grievant and the District. The Parties agree that the decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding on all Parties. The fees and expenses of the arbitrator shall be shared equally by the District and the Association unless the Association has elected to withdraw or not to support the grievance and so notifies all Parties in writing. In this case, the fees and expenses of the arbitrator shall be shared equally by the District and the grievant. All other expenses shall be borne by the Party incurring them, and neither Party shall be responsible for the expense of witnesses called by the other.
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.
Debt Ratings Prompt notice of any change in its Debt Ratings.
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.
