Section 702-A. Settlement of labor disputes

1. Upon its own motion, in an
  existing, imminent or threatened labor dispute, the board may and,  upon
  the direction of the governor, the board shall take such steps as it may
  deem   expedient   to  effect  a  voluntary,  amicable  and  expeditious
  adjustment and settlement of the differences and issues between employer
  and employees which have precipitated or culminated in or threatened  to
  precipitate  or  culminate  in  such  labor  dispute.  In  providing its
  services, the board shall take into consideration and make  all  parties
  aware  of  the  availability  of  other  mediation services, such as the
  federal mediation and conciliation service, and shall make every  effort
  to give priority to those parties which do not have access to such other
  services. To this end, it shall be the duty of the board: (a) to arrange
  for, hold, adjourn, or reconvene a conference or conferences between the
  disputants  and/or  one  or more of their representatives; (b) to invite
  the disputants and/or their representative to  attend  such  conferences
  and  submit,  either  orally  or  in  writing,  the  grievances  of  and
  differences between the disputants; (c) to discuss such  grievances  and
  differences  with  the  disputants  and their representatives and in the
  course of such proceeding, upon the consent of all disputants and  their
  representatives,  to  appoint  fact-finding boards and to arbitrate such
  grievances and  differences;  and  (d)  to  assist  in  negotiating  and
  drafting  agreements for the adjustment in settlement of such grievances
  and differences and for the termination or avoidance, as  the  case  may
  be, of the existing or threatened labor dispute.
    2.  The  board shall have the power at the request of the parties to a
  collective bargaining agreement between an employer and its employees to
  arbitrate such grievances and differences as may arise thereunder and to
  establish panels of qualified  persons  to  be  available  to  serve  as
  arbitrators   of  such  grievances  and  differences.  The  board  shall
  promulgate  regulations  setting  forth  eligibility  requirements   for
  inclusion  on  such  panels,  in  order  to  ensure  the availability of
  qualified, accessible, affordable arbitrators.
    3. In carrying out any of its work under this article, the  board  may
  designate  one  of its members or an officer or employee of the board to
  act in its behalf and may delegate to such designee one or more  of  its
  duties  hereunder and, for such purpose, such designee shall have all of
  the powers hereby conferred  upon  the  board  in  connection  with  the
  discharge of the duty or duties so delegated.
    4.  No  member  or  officer of the board having any financial or other
  interest in a trade, business, industry or occupation in which  a  labor
  dispute  exists  or  is  threatened  and  of  which  the board has taken
  cognizance, shall be qualified to participate in any way in the acts  or
  efforts  of  the  board  in  connection with the settlement or avoidance
  thereof.
    5. Members of  the  board  and  all  other  employees  of  the  board,
  including  any arbitrator serving on an arbitration panel established by
  the board, shall not be compelled to disclose to any  administrative  or
  judicial  tribunal  any  information  relating  to,  or acquired in, the
  course of their official activities under this article,  nor  shall  any
  reports,  minutes,  written  communications,  or  other documents of the
  board pertaining to such information be subject to subpoena; except that
  where the information so required indicates that the person appearing or
  who has appeared before the board has been the victim or  subject  of  a
  crime,  said members of the board, the executive secretary and all other
  employees  of  the  board,  including  any  arbitrator  serving  on   an
  arbitration  panel  established by the board, may be required to testify
  fully  in  relation  thereto  upon  any  examination,  trial,  or  other
  proceeding in which the commission of a crime is the subject of inquiry.