1708                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 776

after a period of ten days from the date of the appointment of the
two arbitrators representing the Authority and the labor organiza-
tion, the third arbitrator has not been selected, then either
arbitrator may request the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Serv-
ice to furnish a list of five persons from which the third arbitrator
shall be selected. The arbitrators appointed by the Authority and the
labor organization, promptly after the receipt of such list shall
determine by lot the order of elimination, and thereafter each shall
in that order alternately eliminate one name until only one name
remains. The remaining person on the list shall be the third arbitra-
tor. The term "labor dispute" shall be broadly construed and shall
include any controversy concerning wages, salaries, hours, working
conditions, or benefits including health and welfare, sick leave, insur-
ance or pension or retirement provisions but not limited thereto,
and including any controversy concerning any differences or ques-
tions that may arise between the parties including but not limited to
the making or maintaining of collective bargaining agreements, the
terms to be included in such agreements, and the interpretation or
application of such collective bargaining agreements and any griev-
ance that may arise and questions concerning representation. Each
party shall pay one-half of the expenses of such arbitration.

(d)    The Authority is hereby authorized and empowered to estab-
lish and maintain a system of pensions and retirement benefits for
such officers and employees of the Authority as may be designated
or described by resolution of the Authority; to fix the terms of and
restrictions on admission to such system and the classifications
therein; to provide that persons eligible for admission in such pension
system shall not be eligible for admission to, or receive any benefits
from, any other pension system (except Social Security benefits),
which is financed or funded, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly
by funds paid or appropriated by the Authority to such other pension
system, and to provide in connection with such pension system, a
system of benefits payable to the beneficiaries and dependents of any
participant in such pension system after the death of such partici-
pant (whether accidental or otherwise, whether occurring in the
actual performance of duty or otherwise, or both) subject to such
exceptions, conditions, restrictions and classifications as may be pro-
vided by resolution of the Authority. Such pension system shall be
financed or funded by such means and in such manner as may be
determined by the Authority to be economically feasible. Unless the
Authority shall otherwise determine, no officer or employee of the
Authority and no beneficiary or dependent of any such officer or
employee shall be eligible to receive any pension or retirement or
other benefits both from or under any such pension system and from
or under any pension or retirement system established by an acquired
transportation system or established or provided for, by or under
the provisions of any collective bargaining agreement between the
Authority and the representatives of its employees.

(e)    Whenever the Authority acquires existing transit facilities
from a public or privately owned utility either in proceeding by
eminent domain or otherwise, the Authority shall assume and observe
all existing labor contracts and pension obligations. When the Author-
ity acquires an existing transportation system, all employees (except
executive officers) who are necessary for the operation thereof by
the Authority shall be transferred to and appointed as employees of