Section 25-7-4

Boards of mediation.

The Governor may, whenever he considers it expedient, appoint a board of mediation, consisting of three members, for the purpose of gathering facts and information and hearing evidence concerning the cause of any strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement between employees or between any employer and his employees, for the purpose of making recommendations for the peaceable solution thereof, and, if the parties involved in such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement shall in writing submit to such board such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement for arbitration, which written submission must contain an agreement to abide by the determination or award of the board, then also for the purpose of arbitrating such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement. One member of the board shall be a person who, on account of his previous employment or affiliations, shall be generally classified as a representative of employers. One member of the board shall be a person who, on account of his previous employment or affiliations, shall be generally classified as a representative of employees. One member of the board shall represent the interest of the public, shall not be generally classified as a representative of employers or of employees and shall be chairman of the board. The Governor may, if he so elects, serve as one of the three members thereof, in which event the Governor shall represent the interests of the public and serve as chairman of the board. Members of such board shall be paid their expenses, as provided in Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 36, and $20.00 per day for each day the board is necessarily in session, except, that the Governor shall not be entitled to any such per diem allowance. The board of mediation shall have the same power and authority to subpoena witnesses and to compel the production of books, records, documents and papers as the Director of Industrial Relations or the members of the board of appeals have under Chapter 2 of this title, and the same power and authority to enter any place of employment, place of public assembly or public building as the Director of Industrial Relations has under Chapter 2 of this title. The board of mediation shall make a finding of facts and a recommendation for settling such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement, and, if such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement shall have been submitted for arbitration, a determination or award, which may be enforced by any circuit court in the same manner as other determinations or awards of matters submitted for arbitration. Such board shall remain in session no longer than is necessary to accomplish the purposes for which it was appointed, and in no event more than 30 days in which to make a determination, but the board shall be allowed an additional 10 days time to make their findings of fact and recommendation for settling such strike, lockout or other dispute or disagreement, and, as soon as it shall have rendered its findings of fact, recommendation, determination or award, it shall be discharged. Copies of each finding of facts, recommendation, determination and award shall be submitted to the Governor, to the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and to each party or a representative of each party to such strike, lockout, dispute or disagreement.

(Acts 1943, No. 298, p. 252, §6.)