Mandatory Mediation Prior to and as a condition of either Party’s filing suit in state or federal court, the Parties shall engage in a mediated settlement conference in accordance with the North Carolina Superior Court Rules Implementing Statewide Mediation. The Parties shall mediate in good faith until settlement is reached or an impasse is declared by the mediator.
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 Procedure The Chairman shall promptly advise the parties of a scheduled Mediation Hearing date. Unless a party requests an expedited procedure, or unless all parties to the proceeding agree to one or more extensions of time, the Mediation Hearing set forth below shall be completed within forty (40) days of BCBSA's receipt of the Complaint. The selected mediators, unless the parties otherwise agree, shall adhere to the following procedure:
i. Each party must be represented by its CEO or other representative who has been delegated full authority to resolve the dispute. However, parties may send additional representatives as they see fit.
ii. By no later than five (5) days prior to the date designated for the Mediation Hearing, each party shall supply and serve a list of all persons who will be attending the Mediation Hearing, and indicate who will have the authority to resolve the dispute.
iii. Each party will be given one-half hour to present its case, beginning with the complaining party (or parties), followed by the other party or parties. The parties are free to structure their presentations as they see fit, using oral statements or direct examination of witnesses. However, neither cross- examination nor questioning of opposing representatives will be permitted. At the close of each presentation, the selected mediators will be given an opportunity to ask questions of the presenters and witnesses. All parties must be present throughout the Mediation Hearing. The selected mediators may extend the time allowed for each party's presentation at the Mediation Hearing. The selected mediators may meet in executive session, outside the presence of the parties, or may meet with the parties separately, to discuss the controversy.
iv. After the close of the presentations, the parties will attempt to negotiate a settlement of the dispute. If the parties desire, the selected mediators, or any one or more of the selected mediators, will sit in on the negotiations.
v. After the close of the presentations, the selected mediators may meet privately to agree upon a recommendation for resolution of the dispute which would be submitted to the parties for their consideration and approval. If the parties have previously agreed to be bound by the results of this procedure, this recommendation shall be binding upon the parties.
vi. The purpose of the Mediation Hearing is to assist the parties to settle their grievances short of mandatory dispute resolution. As a result, the Mediation Hearing has been designed to be as informal as possible. Rules of evidence shall not apply. There will be no transcript of the proceedings, and no party may make a tape recording of the Mediation Hearing.
vii. In order to facilitate a free and open discussion, the Mediation proceeding shall remain confidential. A "Stipulation to Confidentiality" which prohibits future use of settlement offers, all position papers or other statements furnished to the selected mediators, and decisions or recommendations in any Mediation proceeding shall be executed by each party.
viii. Upon request of the selected mediators, or one of the parties, BCBSA staff may also submit documentation at any time during the proceedings.
Mediation In the event of any dispute arising under or in connection with this Agreement, before either party may initiate arbitration pursuant to Section 5.2 below, ICANN and Registry Operator must attempt to resolve the dispute through mediation in accordance with the following terms and conditions:
(a) A party shall submit a dispute to mediation by written notice to the other party. The mediation shall be conducted by a single mediator selected by the parties. If the parties cannot agree on a mediator within fifteen (15) calendar days of delivery of written notice pursuant to this Section 5.1, the parties will promptly select a mutually acceptable mediation provider entity, which entity shall, as soon as practicable following such entity’s selection, designate a mediator, who is a licensed attorney with general knowledge of contract law, has no ongoing business relationship with either party and, to the extent necessary to mediate the particular dispute, general knowledge of the domain name system. Any mediator must confirm in writing that he or she is not, and will not become during the term of the mediation, an employee, partner, executive officer, director, or security holder of ICANN or Registry Operator. If such confirmation is not provided by the appointed mediator, then a replacement mediator shall be appointed pursuant to this Section 5.1(a).
(b) The mediator shall conduct the mediation in accordance with the rules and procedures that he or she determines following consultation with the parties. The parties shall discuss the dispute in good faith and attempt, with the mediator’s assistance, to reach an amicable resolution of the dispute. The mediation shall be treated as a settlement discussion and shall therefore be confidential and may not be used against either party in any later proceeding relating to the dispute, including any arbitration pursuant to Section 5.2. The mediator may not testify for either party in any later proceeding relating to the dispute.
(c) Each party shall bear its own costs in the mediation. The parties shall share equally the fees and expenses of the mediator. Each party shall treat information received from the other party pursuant to the mediation that is appropriately marked as confidential (as required by Section 7.15) as Confidential Information of such other party in accordance with Section 7.15.
(d) If the parties have engaged in good faith participation in the mediation but have not resolved the dispute for any reason, either party or the mediator may terminate the mediation at any time and the dispute can then proceed to arbitration pursuant to Section 5.2 below. If the parties have not resolved the dispute for any reason by the date that is ninety (90) calendar days following the date of the notice delivered pursuant to Section 5.1(a), the mediation shall automatically terminate (unless extended by agreement of the parties) and the dispute can then proceed to arbitration pursuant to Section 5.2 below.
Arbitration Decision The arbitrator’s decision will be final and binding. The arbitrator shall issue a written arbitration decision revealing the essential findings and conclusions upon which the decision and/or award is based. A party’s right to appeal the decision is limited to grounds provided under applicable federal or state law.
Voluntary Mediation a) The central parties may, on mutual agreement, request the assistance of a mediator.
b) Where the central parties have agreed to mediation, the cost shall be shared equally between the central parties.
c) Timelines shall be suspended for the period of mediation.
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.
Negotiation; Alternative Dispute Resolution The Parties will attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute or controversy arising out of or relating to the performance of services under this Agreement. If the Parties are unable to resolve the dispute, then, pursuant to San Francisco Administrative Code Section 21.36, Contractor may submit to the Contracting Officer a written request for administrative review and documentation of the Contractor's claim(s). Upon such request, the Contracting Officer shall promptly issue an administrative decision in writing, stating the reasons for the action taken and informing the Contractor of its right to judicial review. If agreed by both Parties in writing, disputes may be resolved by a mutually agreed-upon alternative dispute resolution process. If the parties do not mutually agree to an alternative dispute resolution process or such efforts do not resolve the dispute, then either Party may pursue any remedy available under California law. The status of any dispute or controversy notwithstanding, Contractor shall proceed diligently with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement in accordance with the Agreement and the written directions of the City. Neither Party will be entitled to legal fees or costs for matters resolved under this section.
Arbitration Decisions Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, the arbitrator(s) shall render a decision within ninety (90) Calendar Days of appointment and shall notify the Parties in writing of such decision and the reasons therefor. The arbitrator(s) shall be authorized only to interpret and apply the provisions of this LGIA and shall have no power to modify or change any provision of this Agreement in any manner. The decision of the arbitrator(s) shall be final and binding upon the Parties, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. The decision of the arbitrator(s) may be appealed solely on the grounds that the conduct of the arbitrator(s), or the decision itself, violated the standards set forth in the Federal Arbitration Act or the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act. The final decision of the arbitrator(s) must also be filed with FERC if it affects jurisdictional rates, terms and conditions of service, Interconnection Facilities, or Network Upgrades.
Dispute Resolution; Mediation (a) Either party may commence the dispute resolution process of this Section 8.2 by giving the other party written notice (a “Dispute Notice”) of any controversy, claim or dispute of whatever nature arising out of or relating to or in connection with this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or the breach, termination, enforceability or validity thereof (a “Dispute”) which has not been resolved in the normal course of business or as provided in the relevant Ancillary Agreement. The parties shall attempt in good faith to resolve any Dispute by negotiation between executives of each party (“Senior Party Representatives”) who have authority to settle the Dispute and, unless discussions between the parties are already at a senior management level, who are at a higher level of management than the Persons who have direct responsibility for the administration of this Agreement or the relevant Ancillary Agreement. Within fifteen (15) days after delivery of the Dispute Notice, the receiving party shall submit to the other a written response (the “Response”). The Dispute Notice and the Response shall include (i) a statement setting forth the position of the party giving such notice and a summary of arguments supporting such position and (ii) the name and title of such party’s Senior Party Representative and any other Persons who will accompany the Senior Party Representative at the meeting at which the parties will attempt to settle the Dispute. Within thirty (30) days after the delivery of the Dispute Notice, the Senior Party Representatives of both parties shall meet at a mutually acceptable time and place, and thereafter as often as they reasonably deem necessary, to attempt to resolve the Dispute. The parties shall cooperate in good faith with respect to any reasonable requests for exchanges of Information regarding the Dispute or a Response thereto.
(b) If the Dispute has not been resolved within sixty (60) days after delivery of the Dispute Notice, or if the parties fail to meet within thirty (30) days after delivery of the Dispute Notice as hereinabove provided, the parties shall make a good faith attempt to settle the Dispute by mediation pursuant to the provisions of this Section 8.2 before resorting to arbitration contemplated by Section 8.3 or any other dispute resolution procedure that may be agreed by the parties.
(c) All negotiations, conferences and discussions pursuant to this Section 8.2 shall be confidential and shall be treated as compromise and settlement negotiations. Nothing said or disclosed, nor any document produced, in the course of such negotiations, conferences and discussions that is not otherwise independently discoverable shall be offered or received as evidence or used for impeachment or for any other purpose in any current or future arbitration.
(d) Unless the parties agree otherwise, the mediation shall be conducted in accordance with the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution Model Procedure for Mediation of Business Disputes in effect on the date of this Agreement by a mediator mutually selected by the parties.
(e) Within thirty (30) days after the mediator has been selected as provided above, both parties and their respective attorneys shall meet with the mediator for one (1) mediation session, it being agreed that each party representative attending such mediation session shall be a Senior Party Representative with authority to settle the Dispute. If the Dispute cannot be settled at such mediation session or at any mutually agreed continuation thereof, either party may give the other and the mediator a written notice declaring the mediation process at an end.
(f) Costs of the mediation shall be borne equally by the parties involved in the matter, except that each party shall be responsible for its own expenses.
(g) Any Dispute regarding the following matters is not required to be negotiated or mediated prior to seeking relief from an arbitrator or, if applicable, from a court pursuant to Section 10.14: (i) breach of any obligation of confidentiality or waiver of Privilege; and (ii) any other claim where interim relief is sought to prevent serious and irreparable injury to one of the parties. However, the parties to the Dispute shall make a good faith effort to negotiate and mediate such Dispute, according to the above procedures, while such arbitration is pending.
