Referral agencies may survey their clients (labor and management) following an arbitration to judge how the parties view the arbitrator’s handling of the hearing, rulings on evidentiary matters, and similar aspects of his or her conduct. In addition, an arbitrator’s previous awards may often be found on web sites such as the those maintained by the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) and the American Arbitration Association (AAA). It should be noted, however, that the labor-management community – particularly, employer and employee representatives and impartial third parties – is relatively small. Most arbitrators practice in a relatively limited geographical area of the United States (Northeast, Midwest, Southwest, etc.). Thus, word-of-mouth comments from colleagues and prior experience can become the primary means by which party representatives assess a particular arbitrator. The National Academy of Arbitrators (NAA) does not monitor its members’ written awards or hearing conduct, but it maintains a committee that considers parties’ complaints about NAA-member arbitrators. The Committee on Professional Responsibility and Grievances (CPRG) addresses such complaints when they arise. A link to the CPRG is located on the NAA web site.
