Okla. Stat. tit. 11, § 11-51-108

Effective date of agreements.

A. 1. The arbitration board acting through its chair shall

call a hearing to be held within ten (10) days after the date of the

appointment of the chair and shall, acting through its chair, give

at least seven (7) days’ notice in writing to each of the other two

arbitrators, the bargaining agent and the corporate authorities of

the time and place of such hearing.

2. At least seven (7) days before the date of the hearing the

corporate authorities and the bargaining agent shall submit to each

other and to the arbitration board members a written arbitration

statement listing all contract terms which the parties have resolved

and all contract issues which are unresolved. Each arbitration

statement shall also include a final offer on each unresolved issue.

The terms and offers contained in the arbitration statements shall

be known collectively as each party’s last best offer.

3. The hearing shall be informal and the rules of evidence

prevailing in judicial proceedings shall not be binding. Any and

all documentary evidence and other data deemed relevant by the

arbitrators may be received in evidence. The arbitrators shall have

the power to administer oaths and to require by subpoena the

attendance and testimony of witnesses, the production of books,

records, and other evidence relative or pertinent to the issues

presented to them for determination. A hearing shall be concluded

within twenty (20) days from the time of commencement.

4. Within seven (7) days after the conclusion of the hearing, a

majority of the arbitration board members shall select one of the

two last best offers as the contract of the parties. The criteria

to be used by the board in determining which offer to select shall

be limited to paragraphs 1 through 5 of Section 51-109 of this

title. The arbitration board may not modify, add to or delete from

the last best offer of either party. Written notice of the

selection decision shall be mailed or delivered to the bargaining

agent and the corporate authorities.

B. If the city’s last best offer is not selected by the

arbitration board, that party may submit the offers which the

parties submitted to the arbitration board to the voters of the

municipality for their selection by requesting a special election

for that purpose. The request for an election must be filed with

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 11. Cities and Towns Page 697

the clerk of the municipality within ten (10) days of the date of

the written decision of the arbitration board. Written notice of

the filing of the request shall be given to the bargaining agent.

If a request for an election is not filed in a timely manner, the

board’s selection decision shall be final, and the last best offer

it selected shall constitute the agreement of the parties.

C. Upon receiving a request for an election pursuant to the

provisions of this section, the clerk shall notify the mayor and

governing body of the request. Within ten (10) days of such

notification the municipal authorities shall call for a special

election. The election shall be governed by the state laws on

special municipal elections. Only residents of the municipality

shall be eligible to vote in said election. The ballot shall inform

the voters that they must choose either the last best offer of the

bargaining agent or the last best offer of the corporate

authorities. Within twenty (20) days of the date of the decision to

call for the election, the municipal authorities and the bargaining

agent shall agree on a ballot. If no agreement is reached within

that time, each party shall present a proposed ballot to the

arbitration board. The parties shall present their ballot to the

board no later than seven (7) days after the aforementioned twenty-

day period. The board shall consider the proposed ballots and shall

select one or the other within seven (7) days of the date of receipt
agent shall agree on a ballot. If no agreement is reached within

that time, each party shall present a proposed ballot to the

arbitration board. The parties shall present their ballot to the

board no later than seven (7) days after the aforementioned twenty-

day period. The board shall consider the proposed ballots and shall

select one or the other within seven (7) days of the date of receipt

of the parties’ proposed ballots. The last best offer receiving a

majority of the votes shall become the agreement of the parties.

D. Concerning issues relating to money, such ballot shall

clearly state the total dollar amount of the offer from the

corporate authority and the total dollar amount of the offer from

the bargaining agent. Such ballot shall also disclose the

percentage of increase or decrease both offers have over or under

the last contract of the two parties.

E. Agreements which are reached as a result of selection by the

arbitration board or by election shall be effective on the first day

of the fiscal year involved regardless of the date of the final

selection.