N.Y. LAB Law § 702-A

§ 702-a. Settlement of labor disputes. 1. Upon its own motion, in an\nexisting, imminent or threatened labor dispute, the board may and, upon\nthe direction of the governor, the board shall take such steps as it may\ndeem expedient to effect a voluntary, amicable and expeditious\nadjustment and settlement of the differences and issues between employer\nand employees which have precipitated or culminated in or threatened to\nprecipitate or culminate in such labor dispute. In providing its\nservices, the board shall take into consideration and make all parties\naware of the availability of other mediation services, such as the\nfederal mediation and conciliation service, and shall make every effort\nto give priority to those parties which do not have access to such other\nservices. To this end, it shall be the duty of the board: (a) to arrange\nfor, hold, adjourn, or reconvene a conference or conferences between the\ndisputants and/or one or more of their representatives; (b) to invite\nthe disputants and/or their representative to attend such conferences\nand submit, either orally or in writing, the grievances of and\ndifferences between the disputants; (c) to discuss such grievances and\ndifferences with the disputants and their representatives and in the\ncourse of such proceeding, upon the consent of all disputants and their\nrepresentatives, to appoint fact-finding boards and to arbitrate such\ngrievances and differences; and (d) to assist in negotiating and\ndrafting agreements for the adjustment in settlement of such grievances\nand differences and for the termination or avoidance, as the case may\nbe, of the existing or threatened labor dispute.\n 2. The board shall have the power at the request of the parties to a\ncollective bargaining agreement between an employer and its employees to\narbitrate such grievances and differences as may arise thereunder and to\nestablish panels of qualified persons to be available to serve as\narbitrators of such grievances and differences. The board shall\npromulgate regulations setting forth eligibility requirements for\ninclusion on such panels, in order to ensure the availability of\nqualified, accessible, affordable arbitrators.\n 3. In carrying out any of its work under this article, the board may\ndesignate one of its members or an officer or employee of the board to\nact in its behalf and may delegate to such designee one or more of its\nduties hereunder and, for such purpose, such designee shall have all of\nthe powers hereby conferred upon the board in connection with the\ndischarge of the duty or duties so delegated.\n 4. No member or officer of the board having any financial or other\ninterest in a trade, business, industry or occupation in which a labor\ndispute exists or is threatened and of which the board has taken\ncognizance, shall be qualified to participate in any way in the acts or\nefforts of the board in connection with the settlement or avoidance\nthereof.\n 5. Members of the board and all other employees of the board,\nincluding any arbitrator serving on an arbitration panel established by\nthe board, shall not be compelled to disclose to any administrative or\njudicial tribunal any information relating to, or acquired in, the\ncourse of their official activities under this article, nor shall any\nreports, minutes, written communications, or other documents of the\nboard pertaining to such information be subject to subpoena; except that\nwhere the information so required indicates that the person appearing or\nwho has appeared before the board has been the victim or subject of a\ncrime, said members of the board, the executive secretary and all other\nemployees of the board, including any arbitrator serving on an\narbitration panel established by the board, may be required to testify\nfully in relation thereto upon any examination, trial, or other\nproceeding in which the commission of a crime is the subject of inquiry.\n