Board of arbitration; submission to Board

Within ten days after the Governor has taken or shall take possession of any plant, equipment or facility of any public utility pursuant to the provisions of section thirteen of the act which this act supplements, or within ten days after the effective date of this act, whichever is later, any and all disputes then existing between the public utility and the employees shall be submitted to a Board of Arbitration to be constituted within such ten-day period as follows: the management of such public utility and the representatives of such employees shall each designate in writing one person to serve as a member of such Board of Arbitration and file such designation with the State Board of Mediation; the two persons so designated shall choose three disinterested and impartial persons and shall file such designations with the State Board of Mediation, and the five thus appointed shall compose, and act as the Board of Arbitration. Such board shall elect one of its members to serve as chairman thereof. In the event that the persons designated by the management and the representatives of the employees shall, within such ten-day period, fail to choose the three disinterested and impartial persons hereinabove referred to, and file the designations of such persons with the State Board of Mediation, then the Governor shall, upon being notified to that effect by the State Board of Mediation, forthwith appoint such three disinterested and impartial persons to serve as members of such Board of Arbitration and shall designate one of the members of such board to serve as chairman thereof. In the event that either the management of the public utility involved or the representatives of the craft, class or group of employees shall fail or neglect to designate, as hereinabove provided, persons to represent them respectively upon such Board of Arbitration, within such ten-day period, then the Governor shall, upon being notified thereof by the State Board of Mediation, forthwith appoint five disinterested and impartial persons to constitute such Board of Arbitration and shall designate one of the members of such board to serve as chairman thereof. All appointments hereinabove required to be made shall be filed with the State Board of Mediation.