Mediation/Arbitration a. In the event of any dispute under this Agreement, the parties hereto desire to avoid litigation. Accordingly, the aggrieved party will give notice of the dispute to the other party and both parties will attempt to settle the dispute during the thirty (30) day period following such notice. If such dispute remains unsettled, the parties agree to then submit such dispute to mediation. If the parties cannot agree on a mediator, each will select a mediator and the two chosen mediators will select a third mediator who shall alone hear the dispute. Such mediation will, if possible, be conducted during the sixty (60) day period following expiration of the thirty (30) day period. If such mediation fails to resolve the dispute, the parties agree such dispute will be submitted to final and binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. Unless otherwise directed by the arbitrator, such arbitration must be concluded within ninety (90) days of the expiration of the sixty (60) day period previously specified for mediation. If the parties cannot agree on a single arbitrator, each will select an arbitrator, and the two chosen arbitrators will select a third arbitrator who shall alone decide the dispute. Any mediation or arbitration conducted hereunder will be conducted in Knoxville, Tennessee. The parties hereto shall equally share the costs of mediation (including the mediator’s fees and expenses and costs directly related to the conduct of the mediation, but excluding each party’s direct costs for transportation, attorneys, etc., for which each will be responsible). If any party fails to participate in mediation or arbitration after receipt of notice thereof, then each party hereto agrees that the other party shall have the right to proceed immediately to arbitration and that such other party shall be entitled to select the arbitrator in its sole discretion. Each party further agrees that, in such event, such arbitrator shall have the right to decide the dispute as if the non- participating party were participating in the arbitration and that such decision shall be final and binding upon each party hereto.
Selecting an Arbitrator The parties will select an arbitrator by mutual agreement or by alternately striking names supplied by the AAA, and will follow the Labor Arbitration Rules of the AAA unless they agree otherwise in writing.
Sole Arbitrator In the event that one party wishes to submit a grievance to Arbitration and is content that the matter be dealt with by a Sole Arbitrator as opposed to a tripartite Board of Arbitration as hereinbefore referred to, the party submitting the grievance to arbitration shall so signify when advising the other party and shall advise as to three (3) alternative choices as to a Sole Arbitrator in addition to that party's nominee to a tripartite board. The recipient of the notice shall in reply advise as to its nominee to a tripartite board and three (3) alternative choices as to a Sole Arbitrator. If the parties can agree to a Sole Arbitrator within twenty (20) days of the notice referring the matter to arbitration the matter shall be determined by a Sole Arbitrator and failing such agreement the regular Arbitration procedure shall apply.
qualified arbitrators The parties shall each strike two (2) names from the list and the remaining person shall be accepted as the arbitrator. The first party to strike will be determined by the flip of a coin.
Arbitrators (a) Within fifteen days after a valid Arbitration Demand Notice is given, the parties involved in the dispute, controversy or claim referenced therein shall attempt to select a sole arbitrator satisfactory to all such parties.
(b) If such parties are not able jointly to select a sole arbitrator within such fifteen-day period, such parties shall each appoint an arbitrator within thirty days after delivery of the Arbitration Demand Notice. If one party appoints an arbitrator within such time period and the other party or parties fail to appoint an arbitrator within such time period, the arbitrator appointed by the one party shall be the sole arbitrator of the matter.
(c) If a sole arbitrator is not selected pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) above and, instead, two or more arbitrators are selected pursuant to paragraph (b) above, the arbitrators shall, within thirty days after the appointment of the later of them to be appointed, select an additional arbitrator who shall act as the sole arbitrator of the dispute. After selection of such sole arbitrator, the initial arbitrators shall have no further role with respect to the dispute. In the event that the arbitrators so appointed do not, within thirty days after the appointment of the later of them to be appointed, agree on the selection of the sole arbitrator, any party involved in such dispute may apply to the American Arbitration Association to select the sole arbitrator, which selection shall be made by such organization within thirty days after such application. Any arbitrator selected pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall be disinterested with respect to any of the parties and the matter and shall be reasonably competent in the applicable subject matter.
(d) The sole arbitrator selected pursuant to paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above shall set a time for the hearing of the matter which will commence no later than ninety days after the date of appointment of the sole arbitrator pursuant to paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above and which hearing will be no longer than thirty days (unless in the judgment of the arbitrator the matter is unusually complex and sophisticated and thereby requires a longer time, in which event such hearing shall be no longer than ninety days). The final decision of such arbitrator will be rendered in writing to the parties not later than sixty days after the last hearing date, unless otherwise agreed by the parties in writing.
(e) The place of any arbitration hereunder will be New York, New York, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.