[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 150 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41852-41853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20847]


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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 the major information collection 
form for FMCS mediation services, FMCS-F-7 form, ``Notice to Mediation 
Agencies,'' OMB No. 3076-0004, which expires on November 30, 1998, is 
coming up for renewal. Before submitting this renewal package to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FMCS is soliciting comments on 
specific aspects of the collection as described below, mainly its 
request for a three-year extension of this currently approved form with 
no revisions.

comments: Comments must be submitted on or before September 29, 1998.

addresses: Submit written comments identified by the FMCS F-7 by mail 
to: Office of Administration, 2100 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20427, 
Room 105, ATTN: Mary Prothro. Copies of the complete F-7 form may be 
obtained from the Office of Administration 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) 606-4254 or 
electronically by sending electronic mail (E-mail) to 
ceburton.fmcs.gov. All comments and data in electronic form must have 
the F-7 number on them. No confidential business information (CBI) 
should be submitted through E-mail.
    All written comments will be available for inspection in Room 105 
at the Washington, DC address above from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, excluding holidays.

for further information contact: Chuck Burton, FMCS, 2100 K Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20427. Telephone: (202) 606-8111; fax (202) 606-4254; E-
mail: ceburton.fmcs.gov.

supplementary information: Copies of the F-7 form are available from 
the Office of Administration, by calling, faxing, or writing Mary 
Prothro, Office Manager at the above address. Please ask for the form 
by its number and title.

I. Information Collection Request

    FMCS is seeking comments on the following information collection 
request:

[[Page 41853]]

    Title: Notice of Mediation Agencies. FMCS Form F-7. OMB No. 3076-
0004, Expiration date: November 30, 1998.
    Affected Entities: Parties affected by this information collection 
are 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.
    Abstract: Under the National Labor Management Relations Act, 1947, 
29 U.S.C. Sec. 158(d)(3), Congress listed specific notice provisions 
creating a duty to bargain collectively so that no party to a 
collective bargaining agreement could terminate or modify that 
contract, unless the party wishing to terminate or modify the contract 
sent a written notice to the other party, sixty days prior to the 
expiration date (Section 8(d)(1), and offered to meet and confer with 
the other party for the purpose of negotiating a new or modified 
contract (Section 8(d)(2). Furthermore, the Act requires that the party 
notify the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service within thirty 
days after such notice of the existence of a dispute and simultaneously 
notify any State or territorial agency established to mediate and 
conciliate disputes with the State or Territory where the dispute 
occurred (Section 8(d)(3)). The 1974 amendments to the NLRA, which 
extended coverage to nonprofit health care institutions, also created a 
notification procedure in the health care industry requiring the 
parties to notify each other 90 days in advance of termination and 60 
days to the mediation service. This amendment also required 
notification of initial bargaining situations (notification of the 
existence of a dispute) to the FMCS, within 30 days.
    To facilitate handling of more than 85,000 such notices a year, 
FMCS has created a specific information collection form. The purpose of 
this information collection activity is for FMCS Notice Processing Unit 
(NPU) to comply with FMCS's statutory duty to receive these notices, to 
facilitate assignment of mediators to assist in labor disputes, and to 
assist the parties in knowing whether or not proper notice was given. 
The information from these notices is sent to the five regional offices 
and field offices to inform mediators so they may contact labor and 
management quickly, efficiently, and offer their dispute resolution 
services, where applicable.
    Either party to the contract may make a request in writing for a 
copy of the notice filed with FMCS. These notices are critical to the 
function of FMCS and fulfill a statutory purpose as well.
    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 a 
health care industry notice for initial contracts or existing 
contracts, is critical for reporting and mediation purposes.
    Burden Statement: The current annual respondent burden estimate is 
approximately 60,000 respondents. This one-page form takes about 10 
minutes to complete, for a total of 30,000 annual hours. Each 
respondent is required to respond only once per event (i.e., 30-day 
notice for mediation). The frequency is once per collective bargaining 
contract.

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) 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;
    (iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    (iv) 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.

III. Public Docket

    A record has been established for this action. A public version of 
this record, including printed, paper versions of electronic comments, 
is available for inspection from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The public record is located in Room 
105, Office of Administration, Washington, DC 20427, and is maintained 
by the Office Manager, Mary Prothro. FMCS will transfer all 
electronically received comments into printed paper form as they are 
received.

List of Subjects

    Mediation, Information collection requests, Notices.

    Dated: July 28, 1998.
Vella Traynham,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 98-20847 Filed 8-4-98; 8:45 am]
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