[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34837-34839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16984]
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FEDERAL MEDICATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE (FMCS)
Office of the Deputy Director; Submission for OMB Review; Comment
Request
June 27, 1996.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) has submitted
four information collection requests to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). These forms
are: FMCS' Arbitrator's Personal Data Questionnaire (FMCS For R-22),
FMCS' Request for Arbitration Panel (FMCS Form R-43), FMCS'
Arbitrator's Report and Fee Statement (FMCS Form R-19), and FMCS'
Notice to Mediation Agencies (FMCS Form F-7). Copies of these
individual collection requests, with the appropriate agency form
number, may be obtained by calling Tammi E. Strozier, Office Manager,
Office of the General Counsel at (202) 606-5442, between 8:30 a.m. and
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Comments Received
In response to the 60-day notice, no comments were received for
FMCS Forms R-22, R-43, and R-19. For the FMCS Form F-7, there were nine
non-opposing comments received basically dealing with the agency's
suggested change from a quadruplicate form to a single copy which would
require the filing party to provide photocopies to the appropriate
state agencies and other parties. Donald G. Russell, Director of
Conciliation of the Indian Education Employment Relations Board, wrote
that the form looks fine; Melissa McIntosh, Director, Wage and Hour
Division of the
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Department of Labor of the State of Indiana, commented that the cost-
cutting change seems to be a reasonable and efficient idea; Jan Hart
DeYoung, Hearing Examiner of the Alaska Labor Relations Agency,
Supported FMCS's efforts at cost-cutting and said her agency would not
be affected by a change from a quadruplicate form to a single form;
Patrick A. Fridell, Assistant Chief UI Legal Section of the Georgia
Department of Labor, stated that a photocopy is usually what the agency
receives and is adequate; the New Jersey State Board of Mediation has
no comments; and Catherine J. Serino, Director of the Connecticut
Department of Labor, had no objections to the proposed change but note
that, ``only experience will tell if parties notice the proper
agencies, like our Board, without the multiple copies.''
Mark A. Lamont, Director of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation,
Department of Labor and Industry, suggested the insertion of ``Copies
to: Appropriate State or Territorial Agency, Opposite Party, and copy
to be Retained by Party Filing Notice should be in BOLD print as found
in the current format.'' He also noted that in Pennsylvania, at least,
85 percent of the notices were from the quadruplicate form. Bethanie
Jensen, Administrative Assistant, North Dakota Department of Labor,
suggested that the form contain more information, e.g. ``actual active
union members covered by the contract, percent of union members at a
site location, and actual total active union members at the location
affected.'' FMCS believes that since the Taft-Hartley Act only requires
notification of contract expiration or modification by the filing
party, this additional information collection request may prove too
burdensome for the filer, whether it be the union or employer, to
complete in a timely fashion.
Parker Denaco of the New Hampshire Public Employee Relations Board,
saw no problems with his agency receiving photocopies that though that,
``from a recipient agency standpoint,'' the receipt of photocopies
instead of pressure-sensitive copies would assure clearer copies'' and
``that it might cause users to give more consideration as to when it is
actually necessary to send the state a copy in the first place.'' Also,
he suggested, ``from an efficiency standpoint, could you offer an even
more technologically advanced solution, namely to scan the new and
improved Form 7 into your computer and offer any entity using the form
to send a blank disc on which you would transfer the form in one of the
common formats.'' This ``would allow users/filers to upload the form
into their computer, fill in the blanks on the screen and then print
the completed form.'' The user could have the ``opportunity to fill
out, proof, and print a form all in one process.'' FMCS will look into
the feasibility and cost of that approach.
Submission of Comments
Comments about this request should be submitted to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attn.: OMB Desk Officer for (FMCS),
Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503. For
more information call (202) 395-7316, within 30 days from the date of
this publication in the Federal Register.
The OMB is particularly interested in comments which:
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the
burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity
of the methodology and assumptions used;
Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
Minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of responses.
Agency: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Title: Arbitrator's Personal Data Questionnaire.
OMB Number: 3076-0001.
Agency Number: Form R-22.
Frequency: Once per application and once per year for updating the
biographical sketch.
Affected Entities: The individuals who apply for admission to the
FMCS Roster of Arbitrators.
Number of Respondents: 250.
Estimated Time Per Respondent: 1\1/2\ hour.
Total Burden Hours: 375.
Total Annualized capital/startup costs: $0.
Total annual costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing
services): $0.
Description: The Form R-22 is used to select highly qualified
candidates for the arbitrator roster. The respondents are private
citizens who make application for appointment to the FMCS roster.
Agency: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Title: Request for Arbitration Panel.
OMB Number: 3076-0002.
Agency Number: Form R-43.
Frequency: On occasion.
Affected Entities: Employers and their representatives, employees,
labor unions and their representatives who request arbitration
services.
Number of Respondents: 27,000.
Estimated Time Per Respondent: 10 minutes.
Total Burden Hours: 4,500.
Total Annualized capital/startup costs: $0.
Total annual costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing
services): $0.
Description: The Form R-43 is used for FMCS to offer panels of
arbitrators for selection by labor and management to resolve grievances
and disagreements arising under their collective bargaining agreements
(CBAs) and to deal with fact-finding and interest arbitration issues as
well. The need for this form is to obtain information, such as name,
address, type of assistance desired, so that FMCS can provide various
arbitration services effectively and efficiently (e.g., furnishing a
standard list of seven arbitrators to both labor and management). This
information collection facilitates the processing of the parties
request for arbitration assistance.
Agency: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Title: Arbitrator's Report and Fee Statement.
OMB Number: 3076-0003.
Agency Number: Form R-19.
Frequency: On occasion.
Affected Entities: Individual arbitrators who render awards under
appointment by the FMCS procedures.
Number of Respondents: 5,000.
Estimated Time Per Respondent: 10 minutes.
Total Burden Hours: 417 hours.
Total Annualized capital/startup costs: $0.
Total annual costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing
services): $0.
Description: The Form R-19 is used by FMCS to monitor the work of
the arbitrators who serve on its roster. This is satisfied through the
required completion of a report and fee statement which indicates when
the arbitration award was rendered, the file number, the company and
union, the issues, whether briefs were filed and transcripts taken, and
fees charged to the parties for days the arbitrators' services were
utilized. This information is then
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contained in the agency's annual report to indicate the types of
arbitration issues, the average or median arbitration fees and days
spent on cases, and the timeliness of the awards rendered.
Agency: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Title: Notice to Mediation Agencies.
OMB Number: 3076-0004.
Agency Number: Form F-7.
Frequency: Once per collective bargaining contract.
Affected Entities: Private sector employers and labor unions
involved in interstate commerce who file notices for mediation services
to the FMCS and state, local, and territorial agencies, who receive
copies of these notices filed.
Number of Respondents: 70,000.
Estimated Time Per Respondent: 10 minutes.
Total Burden Hours: 4,167
Total Annualized capital/startup costs: $0.
Total annual costs (operating/maintaining systems or purchasing
services): $0.
Description: The F-7 form was created to establish conformity
throughout interstate commerce and to allow FMCS to gather desired
information in a uniform manner. The collection of such information,
including the name of employer or employer association, address and
phone number, official contact, bargaining unit and establishment size,
location of affected establishment and negotiations, industry or type
of business, principal product or service, union address, phone number,
and official contact, contract expiration date or renewal date, whether
the notice is filed on behalf of the union or employer, and whether
this is health car industry notice for initial contracts or existing
contracts, is critical for reporting and mediation purposes.
Dated: June 27, 1996.
Wilma B. Liebman,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 96-16984 Filed 7-2-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6372-01-M
