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Arbitration Services

 

Table of contents (Information from 1994-1995 Annual Report)

Arbitration Services
Roster of Arbitrators
Panel of Arbitrators
Appointment

Arbitration Services Program Data:

Number of Panel Requests, Panels Submitted and Arbitrator Appointments Fiscal Years 1991 Through 1995
Average Number of Days Charged by Arbitrator for Travel, Hearing and Study Time Based on Closed Arbitration Award Cases Sampled for Fiscal Years 1991 Through 1995
Arbitrator's Per Diem Rate Fees and Expenses Charged Fiscal Years 1991 Through 1995
Average Elapsed Time in Days Per Case for FMCS Closed Arbitration Award Cases Sampled in Fiscal Year 1991 Through 1995
Number of Issues Reported in FMCS Closed Arbitration Cases Fiscal Years 1991 Through 1995
(Total Number of Issues; Specific Issues)
Number of Issues Reported in FMCS Closed Arbitration Cases Fiscal Years 1991 Through 1995
(Total Number of Cases; State & Region)

 

Brochures

FMCS Arbitration Services: Self-Governing in the Workplace
Labor-Management Relations For The 21st Century (General Brochure)
FMCS: Putting Customers First (General Brochure)

 

Arbitration Services

Federal labor policy promotes the use of voluntary arbitration and collective bargaining to resolve labor-management disputes between employers and represented employees. Two important features of constructive labor-management relations are voluntary arbitration and fact finding in disputes and disagreements over establishment or modification of contract terms. As an ingredient of collective bargaining agreements, the arbitration system substantially assures labor peace. Today, all collective bargaining agreements, in essence, contain grievance and arbitration provisions.

Part of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service's responsibility since its creation has been the provision of panels of arbitrators experienced in dealing with labor matters. FMCS Office of Arbitration Services' (OAS) major responsibilities include:

• Maintaining a roster of arbitrators qualified to hear and decide labor questions in labor-management disputes,

• Providing the parties involved in collective bargaining agreements with a list of experienced panels of arbitrators, and

• Appointing arbitrators following their selection by the involved parties.

Roster of Arbitrators

OAS maintains a roster of approximately 1,641 private arbitrators. The maintenance of this roster requires establishment of, and adherence to, high standards of qualification. These are experienced practitioners with backgrounds in collective bargaining and labor-management relations.

Panel of Arbitrators

A computerized arbitration retrieval system enables OAS to produce data pertinent for rapid and accurate panel selections and arbitrator appointments. Panels can be selected on the basis of geographical location, professional affiliation, occupation, experience in various industries and issues or other specified criteria requested by the parties. Turnaround time for the submission of panels in fiscal year 1995 was 4.62 days.

The automated system also allows OAS to provide the parties with current biographical sketches of the panels, and to monitor cases. Submission of the arbitrator's Report and Fee Statement closes the case.

During fiscal year 95, OAS submitted 30,697 panels to requesting parties in both the private and public sectors. In some instances, the parties requested panels for advisory arbitration of fact finding.

Appointment

The Service appointed arbitrators in 11,593 cases during fiscal year 95. In most instances, the parties jointly selected the arbitrators; however, in 40 cases, the parties requested OAS to make direct designations of arbitrators.

 

Arbitration Services Program Data

 

Number of Panel Requests, Panels Submitted and Arbitrator Appointments Fiscal Years 1991 Through 1995

Frequently, the labor-management parties request more than one panel for arbitration cases, resulting in an increase in the number of panels issued over the number of requests received.

Arbitration Activity

Activity

Panel Requests

Panels Issued

Arbitrator Appointments

1991

28,731

33,599

12,065

1992

28,438

33,722

13,037

1993

27,692

32,259

12,231

1994

27,036

31,610

11,640

1995

26,027

30,697

11,593

 

Average Number of Days Charged by Arbitrator for Travel, Hearing and Study Time Based on Closed Arbitration Award Cases Sampled for Fiscal
Years 1991 Through 1995

Days Charged
Activity Charged For
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Total
Travel Days
Hearing Days
Study Days
3.70
.37
1.06
2.27
3.80
.41
1.08
2.31
3.84
.37
1.14
2.33
3.86
.40
1.13
2.33
3.94
.41
1.20
2.33

 

Arbitrator's Per Diem Rate Fees and Expenses Charged
Fiscal Years 1991 Through 1995

Per Diem Rate
Total Charged
Amount of Fee
Amount of Expenses
1991

470.95
1,975.82
1,747.37
228.45

1992

489.90
2,110.34
1,868.29
242.05

1993

515.52
2,222.38
1,982.35
240.03

1994

540.69
2,351.91
2,104.42
247.49

1995

560.10
2458.99
2214.83
244.16

 

Average Elapsed Time in Days Per Case for FMCS Closed Arbitration Award
Cases Sampled in Fiscal Year 1991 Through 1995

Sequence of Events 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Total
Pre-Hearing Phase
Between Grievance Filing & Request for Panel
Between Panel Request Date & Panel Sent
Between Date Panel Sent & Arbitrator Appointment
Between Date of Appointment & Date of Hearing
Post-Hearing Phase
Between Hearing and Date Award Rendered
by Arbitrator
384.03
303.72
112.30
3.94
80.67
106.81


80.31
316.87
249.65
91.88
4.09
64.95
88.73


67.22
317.70
251.42
96.35
3.41
62.91
88.75


66.28
342.88
266.01
104.20
3.44
60.31
98.06


76.87
334.59
261.88
106.93
4.62
61.90
88.43


72.71

 

Number of Issues Reported in FMCS Closed Arbitration Cases Fiscal Years 1991 Through 1995

Total Number of Issues
Specific Issues
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Total

General issues
Overtime Other Than Pay*
Distribution of Overtime
Compulsory Overtime
Other

Seniority
Promotion & Upgrading
Layoff, Bumping & Recall
Transfer
Other

Union Officers**
Strike & Lockout
Working Conditions***
Discrimination
Management Rights
Scheduling of Work
Work Assignments

Economic Wage Rates & Pay Issues
Wage Issues
Rate of Pay
Severance Pay
Reporting, Call-in & Call-back Pay
Holidays & Holiday Pay
Vacations & Vacation Pay
Incentive Rates & Standards
Overtime Pay

Fringe Benefits Issues
Health & Welfare
Pensions
Other

Discharge & Disciplinary Issues

Technical Issues
Job Posting & Bidding
Job Evaluation
Job Classification

Scope of Agreement
Subcontracting
Jurisdictional Disputes
Foreman, Supervision etc.
Mergers, Consolidations, Accretion Other Plants

Arbitration of Grievances
Procedural
Substantive
Procedural & Substantive
Other

Not Elsewhere Classified

5,753

1,426

139
19
58


194
222
61
74

20
11
55
40
131
122
280

729

93
160
13
56
74
119
29
185

244
130
20
94

2,541

303
117
72
114

173
121
25
20

7

94
51
28
12
3

243

6,011

1,465

120
17
52


201
280
56
76

20
4
63
48
138
106
284

691

94
161
18
31
59
113
51
164

264
139
33
92

2,641

295
101
83
111

184
124
35
18

7

223
29
153
41
0

248

5,276

1,400

114
17
54


186
248
57
66

17
8
54
50
152
111
266

645

78
140
12
31
73
111
38
162

269
134
28
107

2,509

267
92
49
126

193
131
31
25

6

304
37
201
66
0

---

4,949

1,157

83
11
26


182
188
63
66

20
4
48
40
123
93
210

532

70
129
14
29
60
72
30
128

180
87
16
77

2,286

225
85
42
98

157
100
35
15

7

343
70
221
52
0

69

4,835

849

48
14
18


147
128
34
56

8
5
44
32
88
67
160

422

58
89
9
15
50
58
39
104

125
69
15
41

1,958

205
71
35
99

127
81
29
13

4

245
63
149
33
0

904

*Overtime pay issues included under this category Economic: Wage Rates and Pay Issues.
**Included in this classification are issues concerning superseniority and union business.
***This classification also includes issues concerning safety.

 

Number of Issues Reported in FMCS Closed Arbitration Cases Fiscal Years 1991 Through 1995

Total Number of Cases
State & Region
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Total

New England

Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont

Middle Atlantic

New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania

South Atlantic

Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Maryland
North Carolina
South Carolina
Virginia
West Virginia

East North Central

Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Ohio
Wisconsin

West North Central

Iowa
Kansas
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
South Dakota

East South Central

Alabama
Kentucky
Mississippi
Tennessee

West South Central

Arkansas
Louisiana
Oklahoma
Texas

Mountain

Arizona
Colorado
Idaho
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
Utah
Wyoming

Pacific

Alaska
California
Hawaii
Oregon
Washington

Miscellaneous

Philippines
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands
Guam
Others

5,450

84

14
10
40
13
5
2

580

60
196
324

817

12

78
194
140
88
77
30
111
87

1,703

360
228
341
639
135

637

111
81
129
278
21
8
9

511

101
129
70
211

530

80
74
124
252

159

34
34
9
15
20
26
17
4

413

9
255
4
54
91

17

1
4
3
1
8

5,558

97

25
14
33
12
6
7

593

61
169
363

806

12

75
206
114
98
73
29
121
78

1,735

337
232
309
714
143

615

90
64
147
247
27
6
3

542

111
154
32
245

570

84
76
131
279

183

36
47
14
26
16
21
18
5

383

12
201
2
64
104

34

2
3
15
3
11

5,248

92

25
16
25
16
2
8

580

58
190
332

776

8

89
184
134
93
70
22
107
69

1,668

378
229
273
652
136

567

104
66
129
223
32
8
5

449

118
89
54
188

521

66
88
124
243

199

29
56
11
27
28
31
16
1

382

16
210
7
54
95

14

0
13
0
1
0

4,957

83

23
11
26
4
10
9

515

39
181
295

717

4

79
205
122
103
46
16
73
69

1,502

333
194
241
593
141

550

109
64
133
207
20
9
8

453

110
149
41
153

554

70
90
133
261

175

23
51
13
19
24
30
10
5

369

21
218
11
38
81

39

0
9
20
0
10

4,835

69

16
13
21
3
4
12

501

42
181
278

715

7
75

187
132
100
54
20
81
59

1,509

312
198
264
596
139

524

104
65
114
191
33
11
6

444

126
131
43
144

451

47
83
102
219

208

23
63
8
32
20
52
6
4

379

19
228
4
46
82

35

0
7
13
0
15

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