I've never been to one, what is this going to look like? Who is going to be there? Does the panel reach an agreement, is there an arbitrator? Who makes the decision?
Really just looking for an idea of what to expect.
It is usually in a hotel conference room. Four or six panel members. Two or three on the company side, two or three on the union side.
On the other side of the table is the grievant sitting beside his BA. Next to them is the company labor guy.
Each side presents their case with rebuttal. Sometime the panel members ask questions, sometimes not.
When the case has been presented, the parties are usually excused from the room and then the panel debates the case.
They either come to a decision by majority or, if an even split, it is deadlocked and moved to the next step.
This is how most of the country works. There are some exceptions, but if you are asking how a panel works, it should follow the above procedure.
Usually, an arbitrator is the last step in the process if deadlocked all the way through.