[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 134 (Tuesday, July 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37881-37882]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18729]


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FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that three Information Collection 
Requests (ICR) are coming up for renewal. These ICRs are: FMCS 
Arbitrator's Report and Fee Statement (Agency Form R-19), the 
Arbitrator's Personal Data Questionnaire (Agency Form R-22), and the 
Request for Arbitration Services (Agency Form R-43). The request seeks 
OMB approval to extend the expiration data of Forms R-19, R-22 and R-43 
until November 30 ,1998. FMCS is soliciting comments on specific 
aspects of the collections as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 11, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments identified by the appropriate agency 
form number by mail to: Office of Arbitration Services, FMCS, 2100 K 
Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20427, Room 707, 202/606-5111 ATTN: 
Annette Glaspie. Copies of the complete agency forms may be obtained 
from the Office of Arbitration Services at the above address or by 
contacting the person whose name appears under the section headed, FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Comments and data may also be submitted by fax at (202) 606-3749 or 
electronic mail (e-mail) to pgmsvcsfmcs.gov. All comments and data in 
electronic form must be identified by the appropriate agency form 
number. No confidential business information (CBI) should be submitted 
through e-mail.
    Information submitted as a comment concerning this document may be 
claimed confidential by marking any part or all of the information as 
``CBI''. Information so marked will not be disclosed but a copy of the 
comment that does not contain CBI must be submitted for inclusion in 
the public record. Information not marked confidential may be disclosed 
publicly by FMCS without prior notice. All written comments will be 
available for inspection in Room 707 at the Washington, D.C. address 
above from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding legal 
holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter L. Regner, Director of Program Services, FMCS 2100 K Street, NW, 
Washington, D.C. 20427. Telephone 202/606-8181; Fax 202/606/4216.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of each of the agency forms are 
available from the Office of Arbitration Services by calling, faxing, 
or writing, to Ms. Glaspie at the above address. Please ask for the 
form by title and agency form number.

I. Information Collection Requests

    FMCS is seeking comments on the following Information Collection 
Requests (ICRs).
    Title: Arbitrator's Personal Data Questionnaire. ICR is R-22, OMB 
No. 3076-0001. Emergency expiration data 11/30/98.
    Affecting entities: Parties affected by this information collection 
are individuals who apply for admission to the FMCS Roster of 
Arbitrators.
    Abstract: Title II of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 
(Public Law 90-101) as amended in 1959 (Public Law 86-527) and 1974 
(Public Law 93-360), states that it is the labor policy of the United 
States that ``the settlement of issues between

[[Page 37882]]

employers and employees through collective bargaining may be advanced 
by making available full and adequate governmental facilities for 
conciliation, mediation, and voluntary arbitration to encourage 
employees and representatives of their employees to reach and maintain 
agreements rates of pay, hours, and working conditions, and to make all 
reasonable efforts to settle their differences by mutual agreement 
reached through conferences and collective bargaining or by such 
methods as may be provided for in any applicable agreement for the 
settlement of disputes.'' Under its regulations at 29 C.F.R. Part 1404, 
FMCS has established policies and procedures for its arbitration 
function dealing with all arbitrators listed on the FMCS Roster of 
Arbitrators, all applicants for listing on the Roster, and all person 
or parties seeking to obtain from FMCS either names or panels of names 
of arbitrators listed on the Roster in connection with disputes which 
are to be submitted to arbitration or fact-finding. FMCS strives to 
maintain the highest quality of dispute resolvers on it roster. To 
ensure that purpose, it asks all candidates to complete an application 
form.
    The purpose of this collection is to gather information about 
applicants for inclusion in the FMCS Roster of Arbitrators. This 
questionnaire is needed in order that FMCS may select highly qualified 
individuals for the arbitrator roster. The respondents are private 
citizens who make application for appointment to FMCS roster. This 
objection is pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 171(b)(, 29 C.F.R. Part 1404. This 
notice is a request to extend the existing form which is currently 
approved collection without any change in the substance or method of 
collection.
    Burden Statement: The number of respondents is approximately 250 
individuals per year; the approximate number of individuals who request 
membership on the FMCS Roster. The time required to complete this 
questionnaire is approximately one and one-half hour to complete the 
application. Each respondent is required to respond only once per 
application, and once per year for updating the biographical sketch.
    Title: Request for Arbitration Services. ICR No. R-43, OMB No. 
3076-0002; Emergency expiration date: 11/30/98.
    Affected Entities: Employers and their representatives, employees, 
labor unions and their representatives who request arbitration 
services.
    Abstract: Pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 171(b) and 29 CFR part 1404, FMCS 
offers panels of arbitrators for selection by labor and management to 
resolve grievances and disagreements arising under their collective 
bargaining agreements 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 
the FMCS can respond to requests efficiently and effectively for 
various arbitration services (e.g. furnishing lists of seven 
arbitrators to parties). The purpose of this information collection is 
to facilitate the processing of the party's request for arbitration 
assistance. No third party notification or public disclosure burden is 
associated with this collection. This notice for comments refers to a 
revision of the current form to include information regarding payment 
for services and to note if the request involves Expedited Arbitration.
    Burden Statement: The current total annual burden estimate is that 
FMCS will receive requests from approximately 15,000 respondents per 
year. In most instances, the form is completed only once and takes 
about ten minutes to complete. Thus, the frequency of request for an 
arbitration panels is usually only once.
    Title: Arbitrator's Report and Fee Statement. ICR Form R-19; OMB 
No. 3076-0003. Emergency expiration date: November 30, 1998.
    Affected Entities: Individual arbitrators who render awards under 
appointment by the FMCS procedures.
    Abstract: Pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 171(b) and 29 CFR part 1404, FMCS 
assumes a responsibility to monitor the work of the arbitrators who 
serve on its roster. This is satisfied through the requirement of 
completion of 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, if there 
were any waivers by parties on the date the award was due, and the fees 
and days for services as an arbitrator. This information is then 
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. This notice request is for an extension of the form 
which is currently approved for collection; no change in the substance 
or method of collection is involved.
    Burden Statement: FMCS receives approximately 4000 responses per 
year. The form is only filled out once and the time required is 
approximately ten minutes. FMCS uses this form to review arbitrator 
conformance with its fee and expense reporting requirements. This 
information is then 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. This notice request is for extension of the 
form which is currently approved for collection; no change in the 
substance or method of collection is involved.

II. Request for Comments

    FMCS solicits comments to:
    (i) 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.
    (ii) Enhance the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information.
    (iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected.
    (iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated 
electronic collection technologies or other forms of information 
technology, e.g. permitting electronic and fax submission of responses.

III. The Official Record

    The official record is the paper record maintained at the address 
in ADDRESSES at the beginning of this document. FMCS will transfer all 
electronically received comments into printed paper form as they are 
received.

List of Subjects

    Arbitration and Information collection requests.

    Dated: July 7, 1998.
Vella Traynham,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 98-18729 Filed 6-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6372-01-M