Res 2015-119/approving a Meet and Confer Agreement between the San Marcos Professional Firefighters Association Local #3963 and the City of San Marcos

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2015 -2018 Meet and Confer Agreement Between the San Marcos Professional Firefighters Association and the City of San Marcos, Texas Step 2. The Chief (Department head) may require by policy for submission of contract disputes within the chain of command, but shall determine the matter within thirty (30) days of its receipt from the Association. The Chief (Department head) shall make his or her determination in writing. Step 3. If the grievance is not resolved in Step 2, the Association Grievance Committee may advance the grievance by submitting the written Grievance to the City Manager or his designee within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of the Chief's (Department Head) determination. The City Manager or his designee shall review the grievance and render a decision in writing to the Association Grievance Committee within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of the grievance. Step 4. Either Party shall have the right to seek mediation of the dispute by requesting same within fourteen (14) days from the date of delivery of the City Manager's or his designee's decision. The mediation shall proceed before a mutually agreed mediator or a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. If the representatives have not been successful in resolving the issue within sixty (60) days, the matter may proceed to arbitration if agreed in writing by both the City and the Association. If arbitration is not mutually agreed to by both the City and the Association, the matter may proceed as provided for under section 142.114(c) of the Texas Local Government Code. Section 3. Arbitration If arbitration is mutually agreed to by the City and the Association, the Parties agree that either or both can request a list of seven (7) arbitrators from the American Arbitration Association within seven (7) days of mediation, and once received, the Parties shall strike names from the list until a single name remains. The party that brings the grievance shall strike first. That person shall be appointed arbitrator for the dispute unless the arbitrator fails or is unable to hear the matter in which case a new list will be requested and the process repeated. The arbitration should be held at the earliest available date, but may be continued for good cause shown or upon mutual agreement. The conduct of the hearing shall be governed by the standard rules of the American Arbitration Association Labor Disputes The hearing shall be held in available facilities of the City of San Marcos and shall be conducted informally, without strict evidentiary or procedural rules. The arbitrator shall consider and decide only the issue(s) timely submitted in the dispute statement or by written agreement of the Parties. The hearing shall be concluded as expeditiously as possible and the arbitrator's written decision shall be based on a preponderance of evidence within thirty (30) days after close of the hearing. Section 4. Decision Final and Binding If arbitration is selected, the Parties specifically agree that the arbitrator's authority shall be strictly limited to interpreting and applying the explicit provisions of this Agreement. The City has agreed to use of an arbitration on the additional agreement by the Association that legal issues which are determinative in the dispute are subject to judicial review The arbitrator shall not have authority to add to, amend, modify, or Page 22