NRS288.200. Submission of dispute to fact finder: Selection, compensation and duties of fact finder; effect of findings and recommendations; criteria for recommendations and awards.

  Except in cases to which NRS 288.205 and 288.215, or NRS 288.217 apply:

      1.  If:

      (a) The parties have failed to reach an agreement after at least six meetings of negotiations; and

      (b) The parties have participated in mediation and by April 1, have not reached agreement,

Ê either party to the dispute, at any time after April 1, may submit the dispute to an impartial fact finder for the findings and recommendations of the fact finder. The findings and recommendations of the fact finder are not binding on the parties except as provided in subsections 5, 6 and 11. The mediator of a dispute may also be chosen by the parties to serve as the fact finder.

      2.  If the parties are unable to agree on an impartial fact finder or a panel of neutral arbitrators within 5 days, either party may request from the American Arbitration Association or the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service a list of seven potential fact finders. If the parties are unable to agree upon which arbitration service should be used, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service must be used. Within 5 days after receiving a list from the applicable arbitration service, the parties shall select their fact finder from this list by alternately striking one name until the name of only one fact finder remains, who will be the fact finder to hear the dispute in question. The employee organization shall strike the first name.

      3.  The local government employer and employee organization each shall pay one-half of the cost of fact-finding. Each party shall pay its own costs of preparation and presentation of its case in fact-finding.

      4.  A schedule of dates and times for the hearing must be established within 10 days after the selection of the fact finder pursuant to subsection 2, and the fact finder shall report the findings and recommendations of the fact finder to the parties to the dispute within 30 days after the conclusion of the fact-finding hearing.

      5.  The parties to the dispute may agree, before the submission of the dispute to fact-finding, to make the findings and recommendations on all or any specified issues final and binding on the parties.

      6.  If the parties do not agree on whether to make the findings and recommendations of the fact finder final and binding, either party may request the formation of a panel to determine whether the findings and recommendations of a fact finder on all or any specified issues in a particular dispute which are within the scope of subsection 11 are to be final and binding. The determination must be made upon the concurrence of at least two members of the panel and not later than the date which is 30 days after the date on which the matter is submitted to the panel, unless that date is extended by the Commissioner of the Board. Each panel shall, when making its determination, consider whether the parties have bargained in good faith and whether it believes the parties can resolve any remaining issues. Any panel may also consider the actions taken by the parties in response to any previous fact-finding between these parties, the best interests of the State and all its citizens, the potential fiscal effect both within and outside the political subdivision, and any danger to the safety of the people of the State or a political subdivision.

      7.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 10, any fact finder, whether the fact finder’s recommendations are to be binding or not, shall base such recommendations or award on the following criteria:

      (a) A preliminary determination must be made as to the financial ability of the local government employer based on all existing available revenues as established by the local government employer and within the limitations set forth in NRS 354.6241, with due regard for the obligation of the local government employer to provide facilities and services guaranteeing the health, welfare and safety of the people residing within the political subdivision.

      (b) Once the fact finder has determined in accordance with paragraph (a) that there is a current financial ability to grant monetary benefits, and subject to the provisions of paragraph (c), the fact finder shall consider, to the extent appropriate, compensation of other government employees, both in and out of the State and use normal criteria for interest disputes regarding the terms and provisions to be included in an agreement in assessing the reasonableness of the position of each party as to each issue in dispute and the fact finder shall consider whether the Board found that either party had bargained in bad faith.

      (c) A consideration of funding for the current year being negotiated. If the parties mutually agree to arbitrate a multiyear contract, the fact finder must consider the ability to pay over the life of the contract being negotiated or arbitrated.

Ê The fact finder’s report must contain the facts upon which the fact finder based the fact finder’s determination of financial ability to grant monetary benefits and the fact finder’s recommendations or award.

      8.  Within 45 days after the receipt of the report from the fact finder, the governing body of the local government employer shall hold a public meeting in accordance with the provisions of chapter 241 of NRS. The meeting must include a discussion of:

      (a) The issues of the parties submitted pursuant to subsection 3;

      (b) The report of findings and recommendations of the fact finder; and

      (c) The overall fiscal impact of the findings and recommendations, which must not include a discussion of the details of the report.

Ê The fact finder must not be asked to discuss the decision during the meeting.

      9.  The chief executive officer of the local government shall report to the local government the fiscal impact of the findings and recommendations. The report must include, without limitation, an analysis of the impact of the findings and recommendations on compensation and reimbursement, funding, benefits, hours, working conditions or other terms and conditions of employment.

      10.  Any sum of money which is maintained in a fund whose balance is required by law to be:

      (a) Used only for a specific purpose other than the payment of compensation to the bargaining unit affected; or

      (b) Carried forward to the succeeding fiscal year in any designated amount, to the extent of that amount,

Ê must not be counted in determining the financial ability of a local government employer and must not be used to pay any monetary benefits recommended or awarded by the fact finder.

      11.  The issues which may be included in a panel’s order pursuant to subsection 6 are:

      (a) Those enumerated in subsection 2 of NRS 288.150 as the subjects of mandatory bargaining, unless precluded for that year by an existing collective bargaining agreement between the parties; and

      (b) Those which an existing collective bargaining agreement between the parties makes subject to negotiation in that year.

Ê This subsection does not preclude the voluntary submission of other issues by the parties pursuant to subsection 5.

      (Added to NRS by 1969, 1379; A 1971, 10, 1505; 1973, 238; 1975, 923; 1977, 389, 917, 1367; 1979, 286, 1374; 1981, 1869; 1983, 1625; 1985, 1420; 1987, 572; 1991, 626; 1995, 1936; 2005, 820; 2009, 2359)