Page 789 TITLE 29—LABOR § 2703

(1) In an increasingly competitive world

economy, the companies and nations that lead

in the rapid development, commercialization,

and application of new and advanced technologies, and in the high-quality, competitively priced production of goods and services,

will lead in economic growth, employment,

and high living standards.

(2) While the United States remains the

world leader in science and invention, it has

not done well in rapidly making the transition

from achievement in its research laboratories

to high-quality, competitively priced production of goods and services. This lag and the unprecedented competitive challenge that the

United States has faced from abroad have contributed to a drop in real wages and living

standards.

(3) Companies that are successfully competitive in the rapid development, commercialization, application, and implementation of advanced technologies, and in the successful delivery of goods and services, recognize that

worker participation and labor-management

cooperation in the deployment, application,

and implementation of advanced workplace

technologies make an important contribution

to high-quality, competitively priced production of goods and services and in maintaining

and improving real wages for workers.

(4) The Federal Government has an important role in encouraging and augmenting private sector efforts relating to the development, application, manufacture, and deployment of new and advanced technologies. The

role should be to—

(A) work with private companies, States,

worker organizations, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education

to ensure the development, application, production, and implementation of new and advanced technologies to promote the improvement of workers’ skills, wages, job security, and working conditions, and a

healthy environment;

(B) encourage worker and worker organization participation in the development,

commercialization, evaluation, selection,

application, and implementation of new and

advanced technologies in the workplace; and

(C) promote the use and integration of new

and advanced technologies in the workplace

that enhance workers’ skills.

(5) In working with the private sector to promote the technological leadership and economic growth of the United States, the Federal Government has a responsibility to ensure that Federal technology programs help

the United States to remain competitive and

to maintain and improve living standards and

to create and retain secure jobs in economically stable communities.

(Pub. L. 103–382, title V, §542, Oct. 20, 1994, 108

Stat. 4051.)

SHORT TITLE

Section 541 of Pub. L. 103–382 provided that: ‘‘This

part [part D (§§541–547) of title V of Pub. L. 103–382, enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Workers Technology Skill Development Act’.’’

§ 2702. Purposes

The purposes of this chapter are to—

(1) improve the ability of workers and worker organizations to recognize, develop, assess,

and improve strategies for successfully integrating workers and worker organizations into

the process of evaluating, selecting, and implementing advanced workplace technologies,

and advanced workplace practices in a manner

that creates and maintains stable well-paying

jobs for workers; and

(2) assist workers and worker organizations

in developing the expertise necessary for effective participation with employers in the development of strategies and programs for the successful evaluation, selection, and implementation of advanced workplace technologies and

advanced workplace practices through the provision of a range of education, training, and

related services.

(Pub. L. 103–382, title V, §543, Oct. 20, 1994, 108

Stat. 4052.)

SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS

This section is referred to in section 2704 of this title.

§ 2703. Definitions

As used in this chapter:

(1) Advanced workplace practices

The term ‘‘advanced workplace practices’’

means innovations in work organization and

performance, including high-performance

workplace systems, flexible production techniques, quality programs, continuous improvement, concurrent engineering, close relationships between suppliers and customers, widely

diffused decisionmaking and work teams, and

effective integration of production technology,

worker skills and training, and workplace organization, and such other characteristics as

determined appropriate by the Secretary of

Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of

Commerce.

(2) Advanced workplace technologies

The term ‘‘advanced workplace technologies’’ includes—

(A) numerically controlled machine tools,

robots, automated process control equipment, computerized flexible manufacturing

systems, associated computer software, and

other technology for improving the manufacturing and industrial production of goods

and commercial services, which advance the

state-of-the-art; or

(B) novel industrial and commercial techniques and processes not previously generally available that improve quality, productivity, and practices, including engineering

design, quality assurance, concurrent engineering, continuous process production technology, inventory management, upgraded

worker skills, communications with customers and suppliers, and promotion of sustainable economic growth.

(3) Department

The term ‘‘Department’’ means the Department of Labor.