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2016 CBA Tentati ve Agreement Page 18 of 217 Optionally, within thirty (30) calendar days following receipt of the Step 2 decision or the date the answer was due, the Union at the regional level may advise the Manager, Regional Labor Relations Branch, via certified mail or other similar system that requires a signature upon receipt, that it desires the matter to be submitted for Pre - Arbitration Review (PAR). If PAR is requested, the grievance will be processed in accordance with Section 8 of this Agreement. Grievance(s) initiated at the national level are not subject to the PAR process. If the grievance originated at the regional or national level and the moving Party is not satisfied with the dec ision, they shall advise the respondent at the national level by certified mail or other similar system that requires a signature, they desire the matter to be submitted to arbitration, within thirty (30) days following the receipt of the respondent's answ er or the date the answer was due. Section 8. Pre - Arbitration Review: a. Unless mutually agreed otherwise, at least once quarterly, for a period of three (3) consecutive days, at a mutually agreeable time and place, the Union's Regional Vice President or hi s/her designee and up to four (4) additional Union representatives chosen by the Union shall meet with the designees of the Agency, to discuss and attempt to resolve grievances pending after review at Section 7, Step 2 of this procedure. No later than thir ty (30) days prior to the meeting, the Union shall make every reasonable effort to provide the Agency the names of the designated representatives. b. The Parties agree that official time not to exceed sixteen (16) hours per day for the Eastern, Southern, Gre at Lakes, Western Pacific and Southwest regions and eight (8) hours per day for the Alaskan, New England, Northwest Mountain and Central regions shall be granted to participate in the PAR. This official time may be delegated by the Union amongst the PAR re presentatives designated in accordance with subsection (a). No later than thirty (30) days prior to the meeting, the Union shall make every reasonable effort to provide the Agency the names of the designated representatives and the delegated official time amounts. c. No later than thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled PAR meeting, the Union's Regional Vice President and Agency's Regional Manager, Labor Relations, or designees, shall meet to identify the grievances pending PAR and the order they will be di scussed at the PAR meeting. Order shall be determined by the Union. Disputes regarding whether a grievance is pending does not waive the Union's right to request arbitration of that grievance. Grievances not adjudicated or discussed during the PAR meeting may not be held in abeyance. d. The Parties at the regional level shall maintain a panel of three (3) mediators/arbitrators to serve as neutral evaluators in the PAR process. The panel shall be mutually selected and agreed upon. The neutral evaluator shall be present with the Parties during the duration of the PAR meeting. The neutral evaluator's fees and expenses incurred under this process shall be borne equally by the Parties. The Parties agree to utilize the provisions of Section 9.b. of this Article wh en seeking to remove a neutral evaluator from the PAR neutral panel. Unless mutually agreed otherwise, there shall be no more than two (2) designees for each Party at the table presenting grievances for neutral evaluation. Nothing shall

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