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14 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING NEW JERSEY COPS ■ JULY 2014 The latest on Interest Arbitration Reform The following is a compilation of the latest updates in the Interest Arbitration Reform Legislation A 3424, signed by the governor effective immediately and retroactive to April 2, 2014. I am reporting these changes in the order they appear in the legislation. Anyone who attended the NJ State PBA Collective Bargaining SemGeorge inar in February has a copy of 34:13A-16 in the O’Brien rear portion of the binder. The matter appearing between bold brackets [thus] is intended to be deleted. The matter underlined in bold thus is new matter. C.34:13A-16: Public fire and police department collective negotiations agreements; time to negotiate; unfair practice charges; Impasse procedures; binding arbitration; arbitrator selection; arbitration proceedings; appeal. 1. Section 3 of P 1977, c 85 (.34:13A-16) .L. b (3) Upon the filing of a petition for arbitration pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, an arbitrator selected pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection e. of this section shall conduct an initial meeting as a mediation session to effect a voluntary resolution of the impasse. f (5) The decision of an arbitrator or panel of arbitrators shall include an opinion and an award, and shall be rendered within [45] 90 calendar days of the commission's assignment of that arbitrator. Each arbitrator’s decision shall be accompanied by a written report explaining how each of the statutory criteria played into the arbitrator’s determination of the final award. The report shall certify that the arbitrator took the statutory limitations imposed on the local levy cap into account in making the award. Any arbitrator violating the provisions of this paragraph may be subject to the commission's powers under paragraph (3) of subsection e of this section. The decision shall be final and binding upon the parties and shall be irreversible, except: (a) Within [seven] 14 calendar days of receiving an award, an aggrieved party may file notice of an appeal of an award to the commission on the grounds that the arbitrator failed to apply the criteria specified in subsection g of this section or violated the standards set forth in N.J.S.2A:24-8 or N.J.S.2A:249. The appeal shall be filed in a form and manner prescribed by the commission. In deciding an appeal, the commission, pursuant to rule and regulation and upon petition, may afford the parties the opportunity to present oral arguments. The commission may affirm, modify, correct or vacate the award Announcing the creation of the Zeuner Foundation Inspire, dream, live Our Mission The mission of the Zeuner Foundation is to provide dream destinations and special events for terminally ill adult cancer patients and their caregivers residing in the New Jersey metropolitan area. About Robert Zeuner A dedicated and loyal 23-year Glen Ridge Police Officer, Local 58 who loved the job Diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer in 2004 at age 39 Outsmarted the odds and confounded the medical experts by living for 9 additional years until passing in April, 2013 Loving and devoted husband, father, brother, son, friend and police officer • The Zeuner