Purpose and Employee and/or Union Rights. 1. The purpose of this procedure is to resolve grievances and to assure prompt and equitable solutions of problems arising from the administration of the Agreement, or other conditions of employment by providing the exclusive vehicle set forth in this Article for the settlement of employee grievances, except that a grievant may request that the Merit System Board agree to review any matter as defined in A.2. above which by the terms of this grievance procedure may not be processed beyond Step Two, provided that such matter is within the jurisdiction of the Merit System Board. Nothing herein can be construed to require the Board to review such matter but any declination will be made in writing to the grievant and to the Union if a request to the Department of Personnel is made by the grievant.
2. It is agreed that the individual employee is entitled to use this grievance procedure and to be represented by the Union upon his request in accordance with the provisions hereof. He shall not be coerced, intimidated or suffer any reprisal as a direct or indirect result of such use.
3. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as compelling the Union to submit a grievance to arbitration or to represent an employee before the Merit System Board. The Union's decision to request the movement of any grievance at any step or to terminate the grievance at any step shall be final as to the interests of the grievant and the Union.
4. No grievance settlement reached under the terms of the Agreement shall add to, subtract from or modify any terms of this Agreement.
5. Where an individual grievant initiates an A.l. grievance, such grievance shall only be processed through Union representation.
6. The State will upon request, make available to the Union information in its possession to which the Union is entitled, to properly represent the grievant. Such request for information by the Union shall be made to the appropriate management official within five (5) working days after the grievance is filed or appealed to Step Two. Management shall provide the Union with the above mentioned information no later than 72 hours prior to the hearing or meeting.
