If agreement during mediation during a negotiation cannot be reached, what happens next?

• A. A new round of bargaining
• B. A vote by the employee association
• C. Fact finding or arbitration
• D. The contract automatically renews

Answer: (C)

When mediation doesn’t produce an agreement, the usual next step is to move to a formal dispute-resolution process defined in the bargaining framework. Mediation is non-binding and aimed at helping parties talk through issues; if it fails to yield a settlement, contracts often specify either fact finding or arbitration to resolve the remaining terms.

Fact finding uses a neutral party to gather information, hear each side’s positions, and issue findings and often non-binding recommendations. This helps surface objective data and potential compromises. Arbitration, on the other hand, involves a neutral arbitrator who renders a binding decision on the disputed terms, which the parties must accept.

So, the escalation to either fact finding or arbitration is the standard mechanism to resolve unresolved issues after mediation, rather than simply resuming bargaining, holding a vote, or allowing an automatic contract renewal.