Using Event History Analysis to Model Delay in Grievance Arbitration

Abstract

Applying event history analysis to data on a sample of arbitration awards in Alberta in 1985–88, the authors investigate the factors that contribute to delay in different stages of the grievance arbitration process. The analysis shows that a different combination of factors explains delay at each stage of the process. The length of time from the filing of a grievance to referral to arbitration is a function of the complexity and type of the issue; delay in arbitrator selection is associated with the use of legal counsel and the size of the arbitration board; scheduling delay is associated with the nature of the grievance and the use of outside legal counsel; and delay in preparing the decision is linked to the complexity and type of the issue, board size, the presence of legal counsel, and the arbitrator's workload.