5 ILCS 315/14 — Illinois Code / Chapter 5 / Act 315 / Section 14
Section 14
Status: in_force

(5 ILCS 315/14) (from Ch. 48, par. 1614) Sec. 14. Security employee, peace officer and fire fighter disputes. (a) In the case of collective bargaining agreements involving units of security employees of a public employer, Peace Officer Units, or units of fire fighters or paramedics, and in the case of disputes under Section 18, unless the parties mutually agree to some other time limit, mediation shall commence 30 days prior to the expiration date of such agreement or at such later time as the mediation services chosen under subsection (b) of Section 12 can be provided to the parties. In the case of negotiations for an initial collective bargaining agreement, mediation shall commence upon 15 days notice from either party or at such later time as the mediation services chosen pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 12 can be provided to the parties. In mediation under this Section, if either party requests the use of mediation services from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the other party shall either join in such request or bear the additional cost of mediation services from another source. The mediator shall have a duty to keep the Board informed on the progress of the mediation. If any dispute has not been resolved within 15 days after the first meeting of the parties and the mediator, or within such other time limit as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties, either the exclusive representative or employer may request of the other, in writing, arbitration, and shall submit a copy of the request to the Board. (b) Within 10 days after such a request for arbitration has been made, the employer shall choose a delegate and the employees' exclusive representative shall choose a delegate to a panel of arbitration as provided in this Section. The employer and employees shall forthwith advise the other and the Board of their selections. (c) Within 7 days after the request of either party, the parties shall request a panel of impartial arbitrators from which they shall select the neutral chairman according to the procedures provided in this Section. If the parties have agreed to a contract that contains a grievance resolution procedure as provided in Section 8, the chairman shall be selected using their agreed contract procedure unless they mutually agree to another procedure. If the parties fail to notify the Board of their selection of neutral chairman within 7 days after receipt of the list of impartial arbitrators, the Board shall appoint, at random, a neutral chairman from the list. In the absence of an agreed contract procedure for selecting an impartial arbitrator, either party may request a panel from the Board. Within 7 days of the request of either party, the Board shall select from the Public Employees Labor Mediation Roster 7 persons who are on the labor arbitration panels of either the American Arbitration Association or the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, or who are members of the National Academy of Arbitrators, as nominees for impartial arbitrator of the arbitration panel. The parties may select an individual on the list provided by the Board or any other individual mutually agreed upon by the parties. Within 7 days following the receipt of the list, the parties shall notify the Board of the person they have selected. Unless the parties agree on an alternate selection procedure, they shall alternatively strike one name from the list provided by the Board until only one name remains. A coin toss shall determine which party shall strike the first name. If the parties fail to notify the Board in a timely manner of their selection for neutral chairman, the Board shall appoint a neutral chairman from the Illinois Public Employees Mediation/Arbitration Roster. (d) The chairman shall call a hearing to begin within 15 days and give reasonable notice of the time and place of the hearing. The hearing shall be held at the offices of the Board or at such other location as the Board deems appropriate. The chairman shall preside over the hearing and shall take testimony. Any oral or documentary evidence and other data deemed relevant by the arbitration panel may be received in evidence. The proceedings shall be informal. Technical rules of evidence shall not apply and the competency of the evidence shall not thereby be deemed impaired. A verbatim record of the proceedings shall be made and the arbitrator shall arrange for the necessary recording service. Transcripts may be ordered at the expense of the party ordering them, but the transcripts shall not be necessary for a decision by the arbitration panel. The expense of the proceedings, including a fee for the chairman, shall be borne equally by each of the parties to the dispute. The delegates, if public officers or employees, shall continue on the payroll of the public employer without loss of pay. The hearing conducted by the arbitration panel may be adjourned from time to time, but unless otherwise agreed by the parties, shall be concluded within 30 days of the time of its commencement. Majority actions and rulings shall constitute the actions and rulings of the arbitration panel. Arbitration proceedings under this Section shall not be interrupted or terminated by reason of any unfair labor practice charge filed by either party at any time. (e) The arbitration panel may administer oaths, require the attendance of witnesses, and the production of such books, papers, contracts, agreements and documents as may be deemed by it material to a just determination of the issues in dispute, and for such purpose may issue subpoenas. If any person refuses to obey a subpoena, or refuses to be sworn or to testify, or if any witness, party or attorney is guilty of any contempt while in attendance at any hearing, the arbitration panel may, or the attorney general if requested shall, invoke the aid of any circuit court within the jurisdiction in which the hearing is being held, which court shall issue an appropriate order. Any failure to obey the order may be punished by the court as contempt. (f) At any time before the rendering of an award, the chairman of the arbitration panel, if he is of the opinion that it would be useful or beneficial to do so, may remand the dispute to the parties for further collective bargaining for a period not to exceed 2 weeks. If the dispute is remanded for further collective bargaining the time provisions of this Act shall be extended for a time period equal to that of the remand. The chairman of the panel of arbitration shall notify the Board of the remand. (g) At or before the conclusion of the hearing held pursuant to subsection (d), the arbitration panel shall identify the economic issues in dispute, and direct each of the parties to submit, within such time limit as the panel shall prescribe, to the arbitration panel and to each other its last offer of settlement on each economic issue. The determination of the arbitration panel as to the issues in dispute and as to which of these issues are economic shall be conclusive. The arbitration panel, within 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing, or such further additional periods to which the parties may agree, shall make written findings of fact and promulgate a written opinion and shall mail or otherwise deliver a true copy thereof to the parties and their representatives and to the Board. As to each economic issue, the arbitration panel shall adopt the last offer of settlement which, in the opinion of the arbitration panel, more nearly complies with the applicable factors prescribed in subsection (h). The findings, opinions and order as to all other issues shall be based upon the applicable factors prescribed in subsection (h). (h) Where there is no agreement between the parties, or where there is an agreement but the parties have begun negotiations or discussions looking to a new agreement or amendment of the existing agreement, and wage rates or other conditions of employment under the proposed new or amended agreement are in dispute, the arbitration panel shall base its findings, opinions and order upon the following factors, as applicable: (1) The lawful authority of the employer. (2) Stipulations of the parties. (3) The interests and welfare of the public and the financial ability of the unit of