[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 150 (Wednesday, August 5, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46581-46582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19167]
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FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
ACTION: Notice of Request for Renewal of Previously Approved Collection
Form FMCS F-7.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) invites
comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) to approve the renewal of the Notice to Mediation Agencies
Form (FMCS Form F-7; OMB control number 3076-0004). The request will
seek a three-year extension. There are no changes being submitted with
this request. FMCS is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the
collection as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 5, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments by mail to the Office of Arbitration
Services, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, 2100 K Street
NW., Washington, DC 20427 or by contacting the person whose name
appears under the section titled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Comments may be submitted also by fax at (202) 606-3749 or electronic
mail (email) to [email protected]. All comments must be identified
by the appropriate agency form number. No confidential business
information (CBI) should be submitted through email. 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 contain CBI must be submitted for inclusion in the public
record. FMCS may disclose information not marked confidential publicly
without prior notice. All written comments will be available for
inspection in Room 704 at the Washington, DC address above from 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arthur Pearlstein, Director of
Arbitration Services, FMCS, 2100 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20427.
Telephone (202) 606-5111; Fax (202) 606-3749.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of the Notice to Mediation Agencies
(FMCS Form 7; OMB control number 3076-0004) are available from the
Office of Arbitration Services by calling, faxing or writing to Arthur
Pearlstein at the address above. Please ask for the form by title and
agency form number.
I. Information Collection Requests
FMCS is seeking comments on the following Information Collection
Request (ICR).
Title: Notice to Mediation Agencies; FMCS Form F-7; OMB No. 3076-
0004; Expiration date: October 31, 2015.
Type of Request: Request for Renewal of a previously approved
notice without changes in the collection.
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.
Frequency: Parties complete this form once, which is at the time of
an impending expiration of a collective bargaining agreement.
Abstract: Under the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, 29
U.S.C. 158(d), Congress listed specific notice provisions so that no
party to a collective bargaining agreement can terminate or modify a
collective bargaining contract, unless the party wishing to terminate
or modify the contract sends a written notice to the other party sixty
days prior to the expiration date (29 U.S.C. 158(d)(1)), and offers to
meet and confer with the other party for the purpose of negotiating a
new or modified contract (29 U.S.C. 158(d)(2)). The Act requires that
parties notify FMCS within thirty days after such notice of the
existence of a bargaining dispute (29 U.S.C. 158(d)(3)). The 1974
amendments to the National Labor Relations Act extended coverage to
nonprofit health care institutions, including similar notices to FMCS.
29 U.S.C. 158(d) and (g). To facilitate handling around 14,400 notices
a year, FMCS created information collection form F-7. The purpose of
this information collection activity is for FMCS to comply with its
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 electronically to the appropriate field manager
who assigns the cases to a mediator so that the mediator may contact
labor and management quickly, efficiently, and offer dispute resolution
services. Either party to a contract may make a request in writing for
a copy of the notice filed with FMCS. Form F-7 was created to allow
FMCS to gather desired information in a uniform manner. The collection
of such information, including the name of the employer or employer
association, address and phone number, email address, official contact,
bargaining unit and establishment size, location of affected
establishment and negotiations, industry, union address, phone number,
email address and official contact, contract expiration date or renewal
date, whether the notice is filed on behalf of the employer or the
union, and whether this is a health care industry notice is critical
for reporting and mediation purposes.
Burden Statement: The current annual burden estimate is
approximately 14,400 respondents. The annual hour burden is estimated
at 2,400 hours, approximately 10 minutes for each notice to fill out a
one-page form.
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 to be collected will have practical
utility.
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(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.
III. The Official Record
The official record is the paper electronic record maintained at
the address at the beginning of this document. FMCS will transfer all
electronically received comments into printed-paper form as they are
received.
List of Subjects
Labor-Management relations, Employee Management Relations, and
Information Collections Requests.
Dated: July 30, 2015.
Jeannette Walters-Marquez,
Attorney-Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2015-19167 Filed 8-4-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6732-01-P