Appointing Authority If the grievance is not settled under Step 1, it may be formally submitted to the appointing authority. The grievance shall be submitted within seven (7) days after receipt of the written decision from Step 2 or the verbal decision of Step 1, whichever applies. Within seven (7) days after receipt of the written grievance, the appointing authority or designated representative shall meet with the employee. Within seven (7) days thereafter, a written decision shall be delivered to the employee.
Regulatory Authority If any regulatory authority having jurisdiction (or any successor boards or agencies), a court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Authority with the appropriate jurisdiction (collectively, the ''Regulatory Body'') issues a rule, regulation, law or order that has the effect of cancelling, changing or superseding any term or provision of this Agreement (the ''Regulatory Requirement''), then this Agreement will be deemed modified to the extent necessary to comply with the Regulatory Requirement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Regulatory Body materially modifies the terms and conditions of this Agreement and such modification(s) materially affect the benefits flowing to one or both of the Parties, as determined by either of the Parties within twenty (20) business days of the receipt of the Agreement as materially modified, the Parties agree to attempt in good faith to negotiate an amendment or amendments to this Agreement or take other appropriate action(s) so as to put each Party in effectively the same position in which the Parties would have been had such modification not been made. In the event that, within sixty (60) days or some other time period mutually agreed upon by the Parties after such modification has been made, the Parties are unable to reach agreement as to what, if any, amendments are necessary and fail to take other appropriate action to put each Party in effectively the same position in which the Parties would have been had such modification not been made, then either Party shall have the right to unilaterally terminate this Agreement forthwith.
Arbitrator's Authority A. The arbitrator shall have no right to amend, modify, nullify, ignore, add to or subtract from the terms and conditions of this Agreement. The arbitrator shall consider and decide only the specific issue(s) submitted in writing by the Employer and the Union, and shall have no authority to make a decision on any other issue not so submitted.
B. The arbitrator shall be without power to make decisions contrary to, or inconsistent with, or modifying or varying in any way the application of laws, rules, or regulations having the force and effect of law. The arbitrator's decision shall be submitted in writing within thirty (30) days following close of the hearing or the submission of briefs by the parties, which ever be later, unless the parties agree to an extension. The decision shall be binding on both the Employer and the Union and shall be based solely on the arbitrator's interpretation or application of the express terms of this Agreement and to the facts of the grievance presented.
C. The fees and expenses for the arbitrator's services and proceedings shall be borne equally by the Employer and the Union provided that each party shall be responsible for compensating its own representatives and witnesses. If either party desires a verbatim record of the proceedings, it may cause such a record to be made, providing it pays for the record. If both parties desire a verbatim record of the proceedings, the cost shall be shared equally.
