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.
Step 4 - Arbitration If a grievance is not satisfactorily resolved at Step 3, the Union may submit the grievance to Arbitration. If a written notice of intent to file under the Arbitration Procedure is not received by the Manager of Labor Relations (or designee) within fourteen
Dispute Resolution; Arbitration (a) At the option of Company or Executive, and to the extent permitted by applicable law, any dispute, controversy or question arising under, based on or relating to this Agreement, or any breach or failure to comply with the terms hereof (each a “Dispute”), shall be finally and exclusively resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules (the “AAA Rules”). Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, arbitration of any Dispute shall be conducted before a single arbitrator selected by the Parties and the forum and venue for such arbitration shall be AAA’s Los Angeles Regional Center in Los Angeles, California. Each Party hereby submits to AAA and the selected forum for the arbitration of any Dispute, waives any objection to the venue of such arbitration, and agrees that service of process and other notices, pleadings and documents in any arbitration or proceeding hereunder may be delivered to a Party in accordance with the provisions governing “Notices” in this Agreement.
(b) If the Parties are unable to agree upon a neutral arbitrator within thirty (30) days after a Party notifies the other Party in writing of its intent to submit a Dispute to arbitration, either Party may apply to AAA for the appointment of an arbitrator or, if AAA is not then in existence or declines to act, either Party may apply to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of any county in the State of California for the appointment of a neutral arbitrator to hear the Parties and settle the Dispute and such Judge is hereby authorized to make such appointment.
(c) If the Parties so agree in writing, and subject to the consent of the single arbitrator, hearings and proceedings conducted in the arbitration of any Dispute hereunder may be conducted remotely by secure video conferencing technology that is acceptable to the Parties.
(d) The decision or award of the arbitrator shall be in writing and shall set forth detailed reasoning for the award. Discovery shall be conducted expeditiously, bearing in mind the objective of limiting discovery and expediting the decision or award of the arbitrator at the most reasonable cost and expense to the Parties. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final, conclusive and binding on the Parties and no action at law or in equity shall be instituted or, if instituted, prosecuted by either Party other than to enforce the award of the arbitrator. Judgment upon an award rendered pursuant to such arbitration may be entered in any court having jurisdiction or application may be made to such court for a judicial acceptance of the award and/or an order of enforcement, as the case may be.
Step Four - Arbitration 1. With respect to all non-disciplinary grievances and disciplinary cases involving the discharge, suspension of three (3) days or more, or the reduction in rank, the OPBA may make a written request that the decision of the underlying grievance be submitted to binding arbitration pursuant to Step Four, hereunder. A written request for appellate arbitration must be submitted to the other party within fourteen (14) calendar days following such party’s receipt of the written decision at Step 3. In the event the decision at Step 3 is not referred to arbitration within the time limits prescribed, the decision of the Trustees or Designee shall be final and binding upon the OPBA, the member and the Township.
2. Upon receipt of a request for appellate arbitration, the Township and the OPBA shall, within fourteen (14) calendar days following the request for arbitration, jointly agree to an arbitrator or request a list of seven (7) impartial arbitrators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). Upon receipt of the list of seven (7) arbitrators, the parties shall meet to select an arbitrator within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the list is received. The parties shall use the alternate strike method from the list of seven (7) arbitrators submitted to the parties by the FMCS. The party requesting the arbitration shall be the first (1st) to strike a name and alternate in this manner until one (1) name remains on the list. The remaining name shall be designated as the arbitrator to hear the dispute in question. Either party shall have the right to elect to reject the list in its entirety and to request the submission of a new seven (7) member panel, which election may only be exercised once. All procedures relative to the hearing shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the FMCS. The arbitrator shall hold the appellate arbitration promptly and issue a decision within a reasonable time thereafter.
3. The arbitrator shall determine the grievance in accordance with the terms of the Agreement in effect on the date of the incident giving rise to the grievance.
4. The arbitrator shall not have the authority to add to, subtract from, modify, change or alter any provision of this Agreement. The arbitrator shall be confined solely to the issues submitted for arbitration. The arbitrator shall not establish any new or different wage rates not negotiated as part of this Agreement. In cases of discharge, suspension or reduction in rank, the arbitrator shall have the authority to order modification of said discipline for the offense charged. In the event of a monetary award, the arbitrator shall limit any retroactive settlement to no earlier time than forty-five (45) calendar days prior to the date the grievance was presented to the Township in Step One of the Grievance Procedure.
5. The question of arbitrability of a grievance may be raised by either party before the arbitration hearing of the grievance, on the grounds that the matter is non- arbitrable or beyond the arbitrator’s jurisdiction. The first question to be placed before the arbitrator will be whether or not the alleged grievance is arbitrable. If the arbitrator determines the grievance is not arbitrable, the arbitrator shall render no decision on the merits.
6. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding upon the OPBA, the member and the Township. Any cost involved in obtaining the list of arbitrators shall be equally divided between the Township and the OPBA. All costs directly related to the services of the arbitrator shall be paid by the losing party. Expenses, if any, of the witnesses shall be borne by the party calling the witness except that member witnesses on duty time shall not lose any wages due from the Township. The fees of the court reporter shall be paid by the party asking for one. The fees of the court reporter shall be split equally if both parties desire a court reporter’s recording, or request a copy of any transcript. The Township shall not incur any overtime expense as a result of this Step.
Expedited Arbitration (a) The parties may meet, to review outstanding grievances filed at arbitration to determine those grievances suitable for this process, and will set dates and locations for hearings of groups of grievances considered suitable for expedited arbitration.
(b) All grievances will be considered suitable for and resolved by expedited arbitration except grievances in the nature of:
(1) dismissals;
(2) rejection on probation;
(3) suspensions in excess of 20 workdays;
(4) policy grievances;
(5) grievances requiring substantial interpretation of a provision of the collective agreement;
(6) grievances requiring presentation of extrinsic evidence;
(7) grievances where a party intends to raise a preliminary objection;