NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 44
Injury Grievance

Section 8(a)
Hearing

(a)

Each arbitrator shall designate a minimum of twelve hearing dates per year, exclusive of the period July 1 through September 10, for use by the parties to this Agreement. Upon being appointed, each arbitrator will, after consultation with the Chairperson, provide to the NFLPA and the Management Council specified hearing dates for each of the ensuing six months, which process will be repeated on a semiannual basis thereafter. The parties will notify each arbitrator thirty (30) days in advance of which dates the following month are going to be used by the parties. The designated arbitrator will set the hearing on his or her next reserved date in the Club city, unless the parties agree otherwise. If a grievance is set for hearing and the hearing date is then postponed by a party within thirty (30) days of the hearing, the postponement fee of the arbitrator will be borne by the postponing party, unless the arbitrator determines that the postponement was for good cause. Should good cause be found, the parties will bear any postponement costs equally. If the arbitrator in question cannot reschedule the hearing within thirty (30) days of the postponed date, the case may be reassigned by the Chairperson to another panel member who has a hearing date available within the thirty (30) day period. At the hearing, the parties to the grievance and the NFLPA and Management Council will have the right to present, by testimony or otherwise, any evidence relevant to the grievance. The NFLPA and the Management Council have the right to attend all grievance hearings. All hearings shall be transcribed.