Mediation/Arbitration Employee agrees that prior to filing any motion or claim against the Company or any of its employees, Employee will offer to engage in informal mediation. Each party shall bear its own costs of mediation and one-half of the cost of the mediator. Additionally, any claim by either party arising out of or related to this Agreement, or its breach, or related in any way to Employee's employment or its termination (except claims of employment discrimination under local, state or federal laws, and requests for equitable relief under Section 9 above), shall be settled by arbitration using a single arbitrator and administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Employment Dispute Resolution Rules. Any arbitration shall take place in Seattle, Washington, and the parties waive the right to a trial de novo or appeal, excepting only for the purpose of enforcing the arbitrator's decision, for which purpose the parties agree that the Superior Court for King County, Washington shall have jurisdiction. The nature, proceedings and results of the mediation or arbitration shall be kept confidential and kept from public disclosure to the extent possible.
Step 3 - Arbitration If the grievance is not settled on the basis of the foregoing procedures, and if the grievant and the Union have complied with the specific time limitations specified in Steps 1 and 2 herein, the Union may submit the issue in writing to arbitration within fourteen (14) calendar days following the receipt of the written reply from the Director of Employee Relations and Employment or designee. After notification that the dispute is submitted for arbitration, the Employer and the Union shall attempt to agree on an arbitrator. If the Employer and the Union fail to agree on an arbitrator, the Union shall promptly request a list of seven (7) arbitrators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The parties shall thereupon alternate in striking a name from the panel until one (1) name remains. The person whose name remains shall be the arbitrator.
Step 4 - Arbitration If the grievance is not settled on the basis of the foregoing procedures, the Association may submit the issue in writing to final and binding arbitration within ten (10) calendar days following receipt of the Chief Operating Officer or Chief Administrative Officer’s or designee’s response. Within ten (10) calendar days of the notification that the dispute is submitted for arbitration, the Association shall request the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to supply a list of eleven (11) arbitrators and the parties shall alternatively strike names from such list until the name of one (1) arbitrator remains who shall be the arbitrator. The party to strike the first name shall be determined by coin toss. In consultation with the arbitrator the Parties shall choose a date for the hearing. The arbitrator’s decision shall be final and binding, subject to limits of authority stated herein. The arbitrator shall have no authority or power to add to, delete from, disregard, or alter any of the provisions of this Agreement, but shall be authorized only to interpret the existing provisions of this Agreement as they may apply to the specific facts of the issue in dispute. The arbitrator shall base his or her decision solely on the contractual obligations expressed in this Agreement. If the arbitrator should find that the Employer was not prohibited by this Agreement from taking, or not taking, the action grieved, he or she shall have no authority to change or restrict the Employer’s action. The arbitrator shall not reverse the Employer’s exercise of discretion in any particular instance and substitute his or her own judgment or determination for that of the Employer. If a nurse feels the Employer’s determination is based upon bad faith, is arbitrary and capricious, is based on irrelevant information or favoritism, the nurse shall have recourse to the grievance procedure. Any dispute as to procedure shall be heard and decided by the arbitrator in a separate proceeding prior to any hearing on the merits. Any dismissal of a grievance by the arbitrator, whether on the merits or on procedural grounds, shall bar any further arbitration. Each party shall bear one-half (½) of the fee of the arbitrator and any other expense jointly incurred by mutual agreement incident to the arbitration hearing. All other expenses, including any costs or attorneys’ fees, shall be borne by the party incurring them, and neither party shall be responsible for the expenses of witnesses called by the other party.
Expedited Arbitration (a) The Parties may by mutual agreement refer to expedited arbitration any outstanding grievances considered suitable for this process, and shall set dates and locations for hearings of groups of grievances considered suitable for expedited arbitration.
Dispute Resolution; Arbitration This Agreement evidences a transaction involving interstate commerce. Any disputes arising from this Agreement shall be decided by binding arbitration which shall be conducted, at the request of any party, in New York, New York, before one arbitrator designated by the American Arbitration Association (the "AAA"), in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the AAA, and to the maximum extent applicable, the United States Arbitration Act (Title 9 of the United States Code). Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any party may proceed to a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain equitable relief at any time. An arbitrator shall have no authority to award punitive damages or other damages not measured by the prevailing party's actual damages. To the maximum extent practicable, an arbitration proceeding under this Agreement shall be concluded within 180 days of the filing of the dispute with the AAA. This arbitration clause shall survive any termination, amendment, or expiration of the Agreement and if any provision of this arbitration clause is found to be unenforceable, the remaining parts of the arbitration clause shall not be affected and shall remain fully enforceable.
Expedited Arbitrations Where a difference arises at an institution relating to the interpretation, application or administration of a local agreement, including where an allegation is made that a term or condition of a local agreement has been violated, either of the local parties may, after exhausting the steps of the grievance procedure under the local agreement, notify the other local party within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the last grievance step reply, of its desire to arbitrate and to submit the difference or allegation to expedited arbitration before a single arbitrator.
Step Four - Arbitration 15.6.1. If a grievance is not resolved at Step Three, the Association may request a hearing before an arbitrator. The request shall be filed in the Human Resource Services Division or designee within fifteen (15) workdays after the written decision of the division representative becomes effective.
Cost of Arbitration The fees for a single Arbitrator or a Chair of a Board of Arbitration shall be shared equally by the parties. Other costs incurred by each party shall be the responsibility of that party.