Negotiation of Agreement Owner and Manager are both business entities having substantial experience with the subject matter of this Agreement, and each has fully participated in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. Accordingly, this Agreement shall be construed without regard to the rule that ambiguities in a document are to be construed against the draftsman. No inferences shall be drawn from the fact that the final, duly executed Agreement differs in any respect from any previous draft hereof.
Negotiation In the event of a controversy, dispute or claim arising out of, in connection with, or in relation to the interpretation, performance, nonperformance, validity or breach of this Agreement or otherwise arising out of, or in any way related to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, including any claim based on contract, tort, statute or constitution (collectively, “Agreement Disputes”), the Party claiming such Agreement Dispute shall give written notice to the other Party setting forth the Agreement Dispute and a brief description thereof (a “Dispute Notice”) pursuant to the terms of the notice provisions of Section 7.1 hereof. Following delivery of a Dispute Notice, the general counsels of the relevant Parties and/or such other executive officer designated by the relevant Party shall negotiate for a reasonable period of time to settle such Agreement Dispute; provided that such reasonable period shall not, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties in writing, exceed forty-five (45) calendar days from the time of receipt by a Party of a Dispute Notice; provided further, that in the event of any arbitration in accordance with Section 6.3 hereof, the relevant Parties shall not assert the defenses of statute of limitations and laches arising during the period beginning after the date of receipt of the Dispute Notice, and any contractual time period or deadline under this Agreement to which such Agreement Dispute relates occurring after the Dispute Notice is received shall not be deemed to have passed until such Agreement Dispute has been resolved.
Negotiation Teams Neither party in any negotiations shall have any control over the selection of the bargaining representatives of the other party. The parties mutually pledge that their representatives will be clothed with all necessary authority and power to make proposals, counterproposals and to reach tentative agreement on items being negotiated. The parties realize the Agreement shall only be effective subject to the ratification of the BTU-ESP and the School Board. The Negotiation/Labor Management team shall consist of no more than six
NEGOTIATIONS PROCEDURE A. Upon the request of Local 149 or the Board, not earlier than ninety (90) calendar days prior to the expiration of this Agreement, the parties may open negotiations for a successor contract. The first meeting will be held within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt of the request unless the parties mutually agree to a later date.
B. The Board and the Union shall be represented at negotiation meetings by a team of not more than six (6) members each.
C. The Board and the Union negotiating teams shall exchange items for negotiations at the first negotiating session. All contract proposals shall be presented in writing by both parties. No issue shall be introduced by either party following the first session unless mutually agreed by both negotiating teams.
D. Neither team shall release information to the public media without mutual agreement of the other team until such time as impasse is declared by either side.
E. When tentative agreement is reached covering the matters of negotiation, it shall be reduced to writing, reproduced at Board expense for the Local 149 membership to ratify or reject. When approved by Local 149 membership, it shall be presented to the Board for its approval or rejection.
F. In the event agreement is not reached within thirty (30) calendar days after the first actual negotiating session, either party may request that Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service be notified and requested to furnish the services of a mediator for the purpose of assisting the parties in reaching agreement. The request for a mediator shall be jointly filed. This procedure is intended to serve as an alternate dispute resolution procedure to those set forth in Chapter 4117 of the Ohio Revised Code.
G. The procedures set forth above may be modified prior to the start of negotiations by joint agreement of the parties. Should that occur, the bargaining shall be governed by the ground rules agreed to modifying these procedures.
NEGOTIATION PROCEDURE 3.1 On or before September 1 of the prior year in which this agreement is to expire either party may initiate negotiations in accordance with RSA 273:A. The parties shall meet not later than September 15th, at which time the Association shall submit its proposals, unless another date is mutually agreed to by the parties.
3.2 The Negotiating Committee of the Board and the Negotiating Committee of the Association shall have authority to reach a complete agreement, subject to ratification by the Board and the qualified voting members of the Association covered by this Agreement.
3.3 Any agreement reached shall be reduced to writing and signed by the Board and the Association. Any agreement reached which requires the expenditure of additional public funds for its implementation shall not be binding on the Board, unless and until the necessary appropriations have been made by the Annual School District Meeting. The Board shall make a good faith effort to secure the funds necessary to implement said agreements.
3.4 If, after discussion of all negotiable matters, the parties fail to reach agreement, either party may declare impasse. In the event of impasse, the rules and procedures for “Resolution of Disputes” as outlined under RSA 273: A-12 shall be followed.
3.5 The cost for the services of the mediator and/or fact finder including per diem expenses, if any, will be shared equally by the Board and the Association.
3.6 Determinations and/or recommendations under the provision of Section 3.4 of this Article III will not be binding on the parties in accordance with RSA 273: A
3.7 If the monies to fund the economic provisions are not appropriated as provided in this Article III, Section 3.3 and/or if either party rejects the recommendations set forth in this Article III, Section 3.6, then the parties shall do the following:
A. The appropriate party shall notify the other party of its intent to renegotiate the provisions of this Agreement, and:
B. If either negotiating team rejects the neutral party’s recommendations, his/her findings and recommendations shall be submitted to the full membership of the employee organization and to the Board of the public employer, which shall vote to accept or reject so much of his/her recommendations as is otherwise permitted by law.
C. If either the full membership of the employee organization or the public employer rejects the neutral party’s recommendations, his/her findings and recommendations shall be submitted to the legislative body of the public employer, which shall vote to accept or reject so much of his/her recommendations as otherwise is permitted by law.
D. If the impasse is not resolved following the action of the legislative body, negotiations shall be reopened. Mediation may be requested by either party and may involve the Board of the public employer if the mediator so chooses.
3.8 The parties may, by mutual agreement, pass over mediation and go directly to fact finding.
3.9 Neither party in any negotiations shall interfere with the selection of the negotiating or bargaining representatives of the other party.
Negotiations At the written request of a Party, each Party will appoint a knowledgeable, responsible representative to meet and negotiate in good faith to resolve any dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Parties intend that these negotiations be conducted by non-lawyer, business representatives. The location, format, frequency, duration, and conclusion of these discussions shall be left to the discretion of the representatives. Upon agreement, the representatives may utilize other alternative dispute resolution procedures such as mediation to assist in the negotiations. Discussions and correspondence among the representatives for purposes of these negotiations shall be treated as confidential information developed for purposes of settlement, exempt from discovery, and shall not be admissible in the arbitration described below or in any lawsuit without the concurrence of all Parties. Documents identified in or provided with such communications, which are not prepared for purposes of the negotiations, are not so exempted and may, if otherwise discoverable, be discovered or otherwise admissible, be admitted in evidence, in the arbitration or lawsuit.
NEGOTIATION PROCEDURES A. At least sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of this Agreement, the parties will begin negotiations for a new Agreement covering wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment of employees covered by this Agreement.
B. In any negotiations described in this article, neither party shall have control over the selection of the negotiating representatives of the other party and each party may select its representatives from within or outside the school district. It is recognized that no final Agreement between the parties may be executed without ratification by the Board and the Association. The parties mutually pledge that representatives selected by each shall be clothed with necessary power and authority to make proposals and concessions in the course of negotiations, subject only to such ultimate ratification.
C. If the parties fail to reach an agreement in any such negotiations, either party may invoke the procedures established under Public Act 379 as amended.
D. Members of the Association’s negotiating team and/or consultants thereto, who are employees of the Employer, shall be released from their normal duties without loss of salary when meetings of the two negotiating teams are scheduled during their normal working hours.
E. The parties hereby agree that their Teams shall meet at least quarterly during the school year to attempt to resolve problems. The topics for these meetings shall be established by the group at the previous quarter’s meeting whenever possible. Topics will remain on the agendas until resolved or until deleted by mutual agreement.
F. Prior to the establishment of any new position in the bargaining unit, the Employer shall notify the Association of such a contemplated action, and meet with the Association to negotiate workload for the position. This provision does not preclude the Employer’s ability to create and post positions. If the timing of the decision to establish the position precludes such a meeting, the Employer shall meet with the Association as soon as possible. The parties may agree that the position should be allowed to operate without a defined workload for some defined period of time to determine what a reasonable workload might be.
G. By mutual consent of both parties any section of this agreement may be reopened.
NEGOTIATIONS PROCEDURES A. The parties agreed to implement a Collaborative Bargaining Process beginning with the 1998- 99 fiscal year within the authority of Chapter 447 of the Florida Statutes and any appropriate rules and procedures. Salary and fringe benefits shall be automatically reopened each year, as well as any provisions imposed by the Board. In compliance with requirements that tentative agreement items must be formally ratified, the parties agree to establish the following protocol:
1. Formal ratification votes on tentative agreement(s) by the parties shall be held as needed.
2. Interim decisions to implement agreements before formal ratification shall be confirmed in writing in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding.
3. Issues may be raised for consideration through an appropriate process at any time during the length of this ratified agreement.
B. If negotiations reach impasse, the procedures as set forth in the Florida Statutes and/or the rules of the Public Employees Relations Commission shall be followed. At the request of either party, a mediator shall be appointed.
C. Neither party shall have any control over the selection of the bargaining representatives of the other party, and the parties mutually pledge that their representatives will be empowered to reach tentative agreement on items being negotiated. Should either party utilize the services of outside consultants to assist in negotiations, the party using the consultants shall pay for any cost incurred for such services.
D. This Contract may not be modified in whole or in part except by mutual written agreement.
E. If any provision or application of this Contract is held to be contrary to law, then such provision or application shall not be deemed valid and subsisting except to the extent permitted by law, but all other provisions or applications shall continue in full force and effect. The parties shall either immediately meet to reopen negotiations on that provision or application or mutually agree to deal with the matter in subsequent negotiations.
F. The agreements in this Contract shall supersede any rules, regulations, or practices of the Board which are contrary to or inconsistent with the terms recorded herein.
G. There shall be two official signed copies of the final ratified Contract, one to be retained by each of the parties. The Board agrees to print one thousand five hundred (1,500) copies of the current Contract for distribution to new hires. A link will be provided to all employees during pre-planning each school year. The Association will be provided 500 copies of the full contract each year.
H. If bargaining is mutually scheduled during the teacher duty day, up to eleven members of the Association’s bargaining team shall be granted release time for travel, caucusing, and attendance at bargaining sessions. The parties shall mutually agree on parameters to release from duty Association team members following bargaining sessions which extend late.
I. Tentative agreements shall be reduced to writing and submitted for ratification, within an agreed upon time, to the employees and to the Board. Failure to ratify tentative agreements shall make such tentative agreements null and void.
1. The parties may agree to submit packages of tentative agreements for ratification to the employees and the Board at any time.
2. If impasse is declared, the parties shall meet to review any pending tentative agreements unrelated to the impasse and to consider their submission for ratification as outlined in Section 1. above, prior to a special master hearing and prior to a public hearing.
J. During the term of this Contract the Association and the Board recognize that events may arise which require a mutual interpretation or modification of this Contract that does not constitute a substantive change in employees’ salaries or benefits. Under these circumstances, the parties are authorized to enter into a settlement agreement or memorandum of understanding expressing these interpretations or modifications. If such are entered into during the term of this Contract, they will remain in effect until expiration of the Contract, until superseded by the Contract, or until mutually withdrawn by the parties.
K. Operating Procedures and Guidelines:
1. The Collaborative Bargaining Leadership Team (CBLT) shall be composed of equal numbers of CTA members and District personnel.
2. The CBLT mutually agrees to coordinate and participate in appropriate training opportunities designed to support the process and/or build skills essential to the success of the process. The CBLT may utilize the services of consultants to assist in the negotiations. Any cost incurred shall be shared equally by the parties.
3. Define consensus as a status in which all members can support the decision and use consensus as the preferred decision making strategy in all decisions.
4. Operate as an open forum to identify, explore and resolve issues of importance to CTA and the District using District personnel as resources. The CBLT will solicit and value input from personnel affected by the outcome of the process.
5. All monies, except for School Recognition Dollars allocated by the Legislature as “bonus” and/or “incentive money” for teachers, shall be subject to discussion by the Collaborative Bargaining Leadership Team before distribution.
6. The CBLT will establish committees and will receive, review and make final decisions on recommendations from appropriate committees. All decisions are to be supported by data from those committees. All committee meetings will be accurately recorded.
7. Communicate with employees through a variety of mediums.
8. There will be a notice to the CBLT participants before either party communicates any specific issues generated or discussed during the CBLT process unless it is mutually agreed to amend this timeline.
L. Provisions to submit issues to the CBLT
1. Employees shall submit issues to the CBLT using the Issues for Submission form found on the CBLT websites: xxxxx://xxx.xxxx.xxx/es/legislative/laborrelations/Pages/default.aspx and xxx.xxxxxxxxx.xxx.
2. Forms may be found at individual work locations or the Association office.
3. The CBLT shall determine the appropriate action to be taken and notify the submitting party of such action.
M. Committees of the CBLT
1. Committees shall be composed of equal numbers of CTA members and District personnel.
2. Committees will receive and undertake activities to execute the specific charge from the CBLT. Each party shall select a member that will act as a co-chair for each committee.
3. Committees shall welcome employees who might be affected by the issue to attend and provide information as a resource. Committees may invite outside resources as necessary.
4. Committees shall identify options supported by data to be recommended to the CBLT.
5. Committees shall keep accurate records of all committee meetings.
6. Committees and Task Forces
a. Standing Committees The Collaborative Bargaining Leadership Team has established standing committees to field issues and concerns from their stakeholders. The committees meet on a regular basis to discuss issues and to collect data to support their recommendations. Each committee presents periodic reports and recommendations to the Collaborative Bargaining Leadership Team. The committees are as follows:
1.) Finance and Compensation 2.) Assessment
Negotiation Process (a) If either the Chief Executive Officer of ICANN (“CEO”) or the Chairperson of the Registry Stakeholder Group (“Chair”) desires to discuss any revision(s) to this Agreement, the CEO or Chair, as applicable, shall provide written notice to the other person, which shall set forth in reasonable detail the proposed revisions to this Agreement (a “Negotiation Notice”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the CEO nor the Chair may
(i) propose revisions to this Agreement that modify any Consensus Policy then existing, (ii) propose revisions to this Agreement pursuant to this Section 7.7 on or before June 30, 2014, or (iii) propose revisions or submit a Negotiation Notice more than once during any twelve (12) month period beginning on July 1, 2014.
(b) Following receipt of the Negotiation Notice by either the CEO or the Chair, ICANN and the Working Group (as defined in Section 7.6) shall consult in good faith negotiations regarding the form and substance of the proposed revisions to this Agreement, which shall be in the form of a proposed amendment to this Agreement (the “Proposed Revisions”), for a period of at least ninety (90) calendar days (unless a resolution is earlier reached) and attempt to reach a mutually acceptable agreement relating to the Proposed Revisions (the “Discussion Period”).
(c) If, following the conclusion of the Discussion Period, an agreement is reached on the Proposed Revisions, ICANN shall post the mutually agreed Proposed Revisions on its website for public comment for no less than thirty (30) calendar days (the “Posting Period”) and provide notice of such revisions to all Applicable Registry Operators in accordance with Section 7.9. ICANN and the Working Group will consider the public comments submitted on the Proposed Revisions during the Posting Period (including comments submitted by the Applicable Registry Operators). Following the conclusion of the Posting Period, the Proposed Revisions shall be submitted for Registry Operator Approval (as defined in Section 7.6) and approval by the ICANN Board of Directors. If such approvals are obtained, the Proposed Revisions shall be deemed an Approved Amendment (as defined in Section 7.6) by the Applicable Registry Operators and ICANN, and shall be effective and deemed an amendment to this Agreement upon sixty (60) calendar days notice from ICANN to Registry Operator.
(d) If, following the conclusion of the Discussion Period, an agreement is not reached between ICANN and the Working Group on the Proposed Revisions, either the CEO or the Chair may provide the other person written notice (the “Mediation Notice”) requiring each party to attempt to resolve the disagreements related to the Proposed Revisions through impartial, facilitative (non-‐evaluative) mediation in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth below. In the event that a Mediation Notice is provided, ICANN and the Working Group shall, within fifteen (15) calendar days thereof, simultaneously post the text of their desired version of the Proposed Revisions and a position paper with respect thereto on ICANN’s website.
(i) 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 following receipt by the CEO or Chair, as applicable, of the Mediation Notice, 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, who 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 an Applicable Registry Operator. If such confirmation is not provided by the appointed mediator, then a replacement mediator shall be appointed pursuant to this Section 7.7(d)(i).
(ii) The mediator shall conduct the mediation in accordance with the rules and procedures for facilitative mediation 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.
(iii) Each party shall bear its own costs in the mediation. The parties shall share equally the fees and expenses of the mediator.
(iv) If an agreement is reached during the mediation, ICANN shall post the mutually agreed Proposed Revisions on its website for the Posting Period and provide notice to all Applicable Registry Operators in accordance with Section 7.9. ICANN and the Working Group will consider the public comments submitted on the agreed Proposed Revisions during the Posting Period (including comments submitted by the Applicable Registry Operators). Following the conclusion of the Posting Period, the Proposed Revisions shall be submitted for Registry Operator Approval and approval by the ICANN Board of Directors. If such approvals are obtained, the Proposed Revisions shall be deemed an Approved Amendment (as defined in Section 7.6) by the Applicable Registry Operators and ICANN, and shall be effective and deemed an amendment to this Agreement upon sixty (60) calendar days notice from ICANN to Registry Operator.
(v) If the parties have not resolved the dispute for any reason by the date that is ninety (90) calendar days following receipt by the CEO or Chair, as applicable, of the Mediation Notice, the mediation shall automatically terminate (unless extended by agreement of the parties). The mediator shall deliver to the parties a definition of the issues that could be considered in future arbitration, if invoked. Those issues are subject to the limitations set forth in Section 7.7(e)(ii) below.
(e) If, following mediation, ICANN and the Working Group have not reached an agreement on the Proposed Revisions, either the CEO or the Chair may provide the other person written notice (an “Arbitration Notice”) requiring ICANN and the Applicable Registry Operators to resolve the dispute through binding arbitration in accordance with the arbitration provisions of Section 5.2, subject to the requirements and limitations of this Section 7.7(e).
(i) If an Arbitration Notice is sent, the mediator’s definition of issues, along with the Proposed Revisions (be those from ICANN, the Working Group or both) shall be posted for public comment on ICANN’s website for a period of no less than thirty (30) calendar days. ICANN and the Working Group will consider the public comments submitted on the Proposed Revisions during the Posting Period (including comments submitted by the Applicable Registry Operators), and information regarding such comments and consideration shall be provided to a three (3) person arbitrator panel. Each party may modify its Proposed Revisions before and after the Posting Period. The arbitration proceeding may not commence prior to the closing of such public comment period, and ICANN may consolidate all challenges brought by registry operators (including Registry Operator) into a single proceeding. Except as set forth in this Section 7.7, the arbitration shall be conducted pursuant to Section 5.2.
(ii) No dispute regarding the Proposed Revisions may be submitted for arbitration to the extent the subject matter of the Proposed Revisions (i) relates to Consensus Policy, (ii) falls within the subject matter categories set forth in Section 1.2 of Specification 1, or (iii) seeks to amend any of the following provisions or Specifications of this Agreement: Articles 1, 3 and 6; Sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.7, 2.9, 2.10, 2.16, 2.17, 2.19, 4.1, 4.2, 7.3, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.10, 7.11, 7.12, 7.13, 7.14, 7.16; Section 2.8 and Specification 7 (but only to the extent such Proposed Revisions seek to implement an RPM not contemplated by Sections 2.8 and Specification 7); Exhibit A; and Specifications 1, 4, 6, 10 and 11.
(iii) The mediator will brief the arbitrator panel regarding ICANN and the Working Group’s respective proposals relating to the Proposed Revisions.
(iv) No amendment to this Agreement relating to the Proposed Revisions may be submitted for arbitration by either the Working Group or ICANN, unless, in the case of the Working Group, the proposed amendment has received Registry Operator Approval and, in the case of ICANN, the proposed amendment has been approved by the ICANN Board of Directors.
(v) In order for the arbitrator panel to approve either ICANN or the Working Group’s proposed amendment relating to the Proposed Revisions, the arbitrator panel must conclude that such proposed amendment is consistent with a balanced application of ICANN’s core values (as described in ICANN’s Bylaws) and reasonable in light of the balancing of the costs and benefits to the business interests of the Applicable Registry Operators and ICANN (as applicable), and the public benefit sought to be achieved by the Proposed Revisions as set forth in such amendment. If the arbitrator panel concludes that either ICANN or the Working Group’s proposed amendment relating to the Proposed Revisions meets the foregoing standard, such amendment shall be effective and deemed an amendment to this Agreement upon sixty (60) calendar days notice from ICANN to Registry Operator and deemed an Approved Amendment hereunder.
(f) With respect to an Approved Amendment relating to an amendment proposed by ICANN, Registry may apply in writing to ICANN for an exemption from such amendment pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.6.
(g) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 7.7 to the contrary, (a) if Registry Operator provides evidence to ICANN's reasonable satisfaction that the Approved Amendment would materially increase the cost of providing Registry Services, then ICANN will allow up to one-‐hundred eighty (180) calendar days for the Approved Amendment to become effective with respect to Registry Operator, and (b) no Approved Amendment adopted pursuant to Section 7.7 shall become effective with respect to Registry Operator if Registry Operator provides ICANN with an irrevocable notice of termination pursuant to Section 4.4(b).
Mutual Negotiations This Agreement and the other Transaction Documents are the product of mutual negotiations by the parties thereto and their counsel, and no party shall be deemed the draftsperson of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document or any provision hereof or thereof or to have provided the same. Accordingly, in the event of any inconsistency or ambiguity of any provision of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, such inconsistency or ambiguity shall not be interpreted against any party because of such party’s involvement in the drafting thereof.
