§6C-3-2. Powers and duties of the board.

The board shall:

(1) Maintain jurisdiction over procedural matters in the grievance process;

(2) Employ competent administrative law judges and a chief administrative law judge and pay them commensurately with other administrative law judges in the state, who shall be:

(A) Residents of the State of West Virginia;

(B) Members in good standing of the West Virginia State Bar; and

(C) Persons who have knowledge and legal experience regarding public and education employment law and alternative dispute resolution;

(3) Provide suitable office space for the board and the administrative law judges separate from any workplace in the public, educational and higher educational sectors, so that the administrative law judges are accessible statewide;

(4) Hire, discharge, set the job requirements for and fix the compensation of the director, employees and administrative law judges, who serve at the will and pleasure of the board, necessary to enforce the provisions of this article and article two of this chapter;

(5) Prepare and submit an annual budget;

(6) Establish and provide all forms necessary for the grievance process and make them easily accessible;

(7) Establish procedures to obtain and maintain records, outcomes and costs at each level of the grievance process;

(8) Keep accurate and complete records of its proceedings and hearings and certify the records as may be appropriate;

(9) Evaluate, on an annual basis, the grievance process, including written comment from employers, employees and employee organizations that participate in the process;

(10) Submit an annual report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance, the Legislature and the Governor that includes a compilation of all data received regarding outcomes and costs at each level of the grievance process;

(11) File a mandamus proceeding against any employer failing to comply with the reporting requirements of this article; and

(12) Take all other actions necessary and proper to effectuate the purposes of this article.