N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-567.82: Stay of arbitration; resort to other proceedings.

(a) The agreement of the parties to submit a dispute to conciliation is considered an agreement between or among those parties to stay all judicial or arbitral proceedings from the beginning of conciliation until the termination of conciliation proceedings.

(b) All applicable limitation periods, including periods of prescription, are tolled or extended on the beginning of conciliation proceedings under this Part as to all parties to the conciliation proceedings until the tenth day following the date of termination of the proceedings. For purposes of this section, conciliation proceedings are considered to have begun when the parties have all agreed to participate in the conciliation proceedings. (1997-368, s. 7.)