(a) Provisions.--

(1) All employees subject to civil service shall be subject to suspension, discharge and discipline by the director of the department in which the employee works for misconduct or violation of any law of this Commonwealth, ordinance of the city or regulation of the department. If it should become necessary to reduce the number of employees in the department for economic purposes, the following apply:

(i) Seniority rights shall prevail.

(ii) Any and all removals for cause or causes shall be from the members last appointed.

(iii) The member or members serving the shortest time shall be removed first; however, members with longer times of service may be discharged for cause.

(2) Any employee aggrieved by the suspension, discharge or discipline imposed by a department director more serious than a suspension of three days without pay may request a hearing before council or the civil service board, if designated by ordinance. At the hearing, the employee may be represented by counsel.

(a.1) Appeal.--Any civil service employee aggrieved by the decision of council or the civil service board shall have the right to appeal in accordance with 2 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7 Subch. B (relating to judicial review of local agency action). This review shall be exclusive. When no appeal is taken within the time prescribed by law, the decision by council or the civil service board shall become final in accordance with law. The issue before the court shall be whether the action of council or the civil service board shall be affirmed or modified in any respect, whether the charges should be dismissed or whether the suspension or demotion made by the director shall be affirmed or rescinded. If any employee has been suspended and the charges are dismissed or the suspension rescinded on appeal, the employee shall receive full compensation for the entire period of suspension.

(b) Challenge.--In any case in which a police officer or firefighter who is a member of a bargaining unit is subject to suspension, discharge or discipline, the police officer or firefighter shall have the option of challenging the suspension, discharge or discipline imposed by using the procedures provided in subsection (a)(2) or by a proceeding in grievance arbitration. A choice to proceed either by the procedures provided for in subsection (a)(2) or by grievance arbitration shall foreclose the opportunity to proceed in the alternative method.