Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, any matter which is subject to the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission or any Retirement Board established by law shall not be a subject of a grievance or arbitration hereunder unless the employee makes an election as authorized under General Laws, Chapter 150E, Section 8. 10 A grievance may be withdrawn by the employees initiating it or by the Union at any step of the proceedings.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, any matter which is subject to the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission or any Retirement Board established by law shall not be a subject of grievance or arbitration hereunder unless the employee makes an election as authorized under General Laws Chapter 150E, Section 8. A grievance may be withdrawn by the employee initiating it or by the Union at any step of the proceedings.

Any dispute arising between an employee and the employer which is submitted as a grievance for resolution under this Agreement if such dispute or grievance is a suitable matter for submission to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. Any of the time limits outlined in the agreement may be changed at any time by mutual agreement of the parties. Any grievance not presented within the time specified shall be presumed to be waived.

ARTICLE 10 - PROMOTIONS, VACANCIES, AND REDUCTION IN FORCE All matters pertaining to seniority, promotions, vacancies and reductions in force shall be regulated by the rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission.

ARTICLE 10 - PROMOTIONS, VACANCIES, AND REDUCTION IN FORCE All matters pertaining to seniority, promotions, vacancies and reductions in force shall be regulated by the rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission.

However, the employee may request the Association utilize the grievance/arbitration procedure to appeal disciplinary actions that are subject to appeal to the Civil Service Commission under M.G.L. C. 31. There shall be a just cause standard for disciplinary actions, and employees must elect, in writing, to utilize either the grievance/arbitration procedure or the appeal procedure under Chapter 31 as their exclusive avenue of the appeal.

The Arbitrator shall be without power or authority to make any award the terms of which are in conflict with other express provisions of this Agreement or any rules or regulations of the Department, the Civil Service Commission or the Retirement Board. No grievance or dispute within the jurisdiction of some other administrative body shall be arbitrable under any section of the contract.

Item 15: | Whenever a decision is made by the Chief to impose punishment duty on an officer covered by this Agreement, punishment need not be served until the officer has exhausted his/her appeal rights to the Civil Service Commission.

An employees filing with the Civil Service Commission of a disciplinary or discharge appeal shall constitute an election of Civil Service as the exclusive procedure for resolving the dispute over the discipline and the disciplinary matter shall not be the subject of grievance and arbitration. Only suspensions and discharges may be appealed to arbitration. grieved up to Step 3. M.

Section 178N: Nothing in sections one hundred and seventy-eight F to one hundred and seventy-eight M, inclusive, shall diminish the authority and power of the civil service commission, or any retirement board or personnel board established by law, nor shall anything in said sections constitute a grant of the right to strike to employees of any municipal employer. ARTICLE XXI. RATES Section 1.