Kinds of arbitration:

• Grievance arbitration: Arbitration of grievances and disputes that arise under the terms of an existing collective bargaining agreement
• Interest arbitration: Arbitration to establish the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, either initial or successor
• Pension and welfare arbitration: Arbitration to resolve allegations of unpaid pension and welfare contributions

Why designate NYS ERB as your arbitration administrator?

As we do not charge an administrative fee or room rental fee for any arbitration held at NYS ERB, we can save unions and employers money without compromising on the quality of arbitrators available or administrative services rendered.

All ERB arbitrators are bound by the same Code of Professional Responsibility as arbitrators appointed by the AAA and the FMCS. Click on the name of an arbitrator to view his or her resume. Both the regular and pro bono panels are also geographically delineated (Metro Region and Upstate Region) and hearings are scheduled throughout the state, resulting in greater convenience and lower costs for the parties.

Arbitration Panels

The Agency administers two arbitration panels:

Upon request of the parties, we send out lists from our regular panel of experienced and highly qualified arbitrators who bill at their customary rates. An arbitrator on the regular panel has been admitted by the Board upon submission of at least five written decisions and nine recommendations (three union, three management and three neutral). Almost half of our panel arbitrators are members of the National Academy of Arbitrators.

We also have a pro bono panel arbitration program for union and management lawyers and other labor relations professionals with at least ten years of experience in the field who want to transition into arbitration careers. Arbitrators on the pro bono panelparticipate in an extensive training and mentoring program and agree to hear cases and render decisions without any charge to the parties (other than a nominal late cancellation fee where applicable). If the parties request a pro bono arbitrator, the Board will designate one from among the program participants.

One important service NYS ERB offers that sets our agency apart from other arbitration administration entities is our ability to provide for arbitrations on an expedited basis. Hearings before pro bono arbitrators are scheduled within a month; a subpanel of our regular arbitrators will hear a case within 30 to 60 days. Written decisions are due within 30 days after the conclusion of both regular and expedited hearings.

Unions and employers who specify in their collective bargaining agreements that NYS ERB will be their arbitration administrator, or who otherwise agree, may write to or make a request online to NYS ERB. To request the designation of an arbitration panel, complete Form ER50 and submit it electronically or by mail. The form gives you the opportunity of choosing a regular or pro bono arbitrator, from a statewide or geographic panel, expedited or regular processing. We can also administer a panel agreed to by the parties in their contract. Most of the case processing can be done online, saving you time and money.

For further information, please contact Conjeane McAllister, Arbitration Administrator, at 212-352-6778.

Arbitrator resume form (for arbitrators only)

Wise Words

“Equity bids us be merciful to the weakness of human nature; to think less about the laws than about the man who framed them, and less about what he said than about what he meant; not to consider the actions of the accused so much as his intentions, nor this or that detail so much as the whole story; to ask not what a man is now but what he has always or usually been. It bids us remember benefits rather than injuries and benefits received rather than benefits conferred; to be patient when we are wronged; to settle a dispute by negotiation and not by force; to prefer arbitration to motion---for an arbitrator goes by the equity of a case, a judge by the strict law, and arbitration was invented with the express purpose of securing full power for equity."

Aristotle