Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review; Comment Request, 57941-57943 [E7-19968]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 196 / Thursday, October 11, 2007 / Notices PERSON TO CONTACT FOR INFORMATION: Mr. Robert Biersack, Press Officer, Telephone: (202) 694–1220. Mary W. Dove, Secretary of the Commission. [FR Doc. 07–5054 Filed 10–9–07; 2:31 pm] BILLING CODE 6715–01–M FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES Notice of Agreements Filed The Commission hereby gives notice of the filing of the following agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984. Interested parties may submit comments on agreements to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573, within ten days of the date this notice appears in the Federal Register. Copies of agreements are available through the Commission’s Office of Agreements 202–523–5793 or tradeanalysis@fmc.gov). Agreement No.: 011722–003. Title: New World Alliance/Maersk Sealand Slot Exchange Agreement. Parties: A.P. Moller Maersk A/S; American President Lines, Ltd.; APL Co. PTE Ltd.; Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., and Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., Ltd. Filing Party: Wayne R. Rohde, Esquire; Sher & Blackwell LLP; 1850 M Street, NW., Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036. Synopsis: The amendment would update the description of the Maersk vessel strings and add authority for Maersk to charter space to APL and to other members of the New World Alliance. The amendment would also make technical corrections to the agreement. Agreement No.: 011870–007. Title: Indian Subcontinent Discussion Agreement. Parties: Emirates Shipping Line FZE; Shipping Corporation of India; United Arab Shipping Company (S.A.G.); and Zim Integrated Shipping Services, Ltd. Filing Party: David F. Smith, Esq.; Sher & Blackwell LLP; 1850 M Street, NW., Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036. Synopsis: The amendment removes CMA CGM S.A. and MacAndrews & Company Limited as parties to the agreement. Agreement Nos.: 201132–010. Title: New York/New Jersey-Port Newark Container Terminal LLC Lease (Lease No. L–PN–264). Parties: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Port Newark Container Terminal LLC. Filing Party: Patricia W. Duemig, Senior Property Representative, The Port Authority of New York and New VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:09 Oct 10, 2007 Jkt 214001 Jersey, New Jersey Marine Terminals, 260 Kellogg Street, Port Newark, NJ 07114. Synopsis: The amendment extends the letting of PNCT’s rail facility to December 31, 2007. Dated: October 5, 2007. By Order of the Federal Maritime Commission. Bryant L. VanBrakle, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7–20066 Filed 10–10–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6730–01–P FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION Ocean Transportation Intermediary License Applicants Notice is hereby given that the following applicants have filed with the Federal Maritime Commission an application for license as a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier and Ocean Freight Forwarder—Ocean Transportation Intermediary pursuant to section 19 of the Shipping Act of 1984 as amended (46 U.S.C. Chapter 409 and 46 CFR part 515). Persons knowing of any reason why the following applicants should not receive a license are requested to contact the Office of Transportation Intermediaries, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573. Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier Ocean Transportation Intermediary Applicants Jarrett Logistics Systems, Inc., 1347 N. Main Street, Orrville, OH 44667. Officers: W. Michael Jarrett, President, (Qualifying Individual), Diane Jarrett, Secretary. Login Logistics USA Corp., 2025 NW 102 Ave., Suite #111, Miami, FL 33172. Officers: Eduardo Garcia, Operational Manager (Qualifying Individual), Rodinilson Barbosa Da Silva, President. Prestige Relocation, Inc., 8264 Playa Del Sur Blvd., Lake Worth, FL 33467. Officer: Velena Gass, President (Qualifying Individual). Imodal Limited Liability Company dba Imodal, 170 Kinnelon Road, Suite 37, Kinnelon, NJ 07405. Officer: Joseph A. Dymkowski, Member/Manager (Qualifying Individual). S.F. Systems (Group) Ltd., 9040 Telstar Ave., #136, El Monte, CA 91731. Officers: Mei-Ling Chan, Secretary (Qualifying Individual), Fan Gie Ho, CFO/CEO. Greating Shipping Company, 204 La France Ave., #5, Alhambra, CA 91801. Officers: Jack Huaqing Chen, PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 57941 Secretary (Qualifying Individual), Wai Man Chu, President. Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier and Ocean Freight Forwarder Transportation Intermediary Applicants Foremost Transportation Services, Inc., 1643 Allegheny Blvd., Reno, PA 16343. Officers: Roberta Lynn Nicols, Treasurer (Qualifying Individual), Greg Lander, Vice President. The Perfect Body, Inc., dba Diamond Automotive, 6957 W. Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60707. Officers: Marian Suszczynski, President (Qualifying Individual). Ocean Freight Forwarder—Ocean Transportation Intermediary Applicant Specialized Overseas Shipping Corporation, 2401 NW 3rd Avenue, Miami, FL 33142. Officer: Vicente Pena Hamel, President (Qualifying Individual). Dated: October 5, 2007. Bryant L. VanBrakle, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7–20088 Filed 10–10–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6730–01–P FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review; Comment Request Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. ACTION: Notice of OMB Review of Information Collection Forms R–22, R– 19, R–43 and F–7 submitted for reinstatement and solicitation of public comment. AGENCY: SUMMARY: This notice announces that four information collection requests contained among the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) agency forms have come up for renewal. Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCS is submitting to OMB requests for review of these four FMCS forms: Arbitrator’s Report and Fee Statement (Agency Form R–19), Arbitrator’s Personal Data Questionnaire (Agency Form R–22), Request for Arbitration Services (Agency Form R– 43) and Notice to Mediation Agencies (Agency Form F–7). These requests seek reinstatement of Forms R–19, R–22, and F–7, which expired January 31, 2006, and Form R–43, which expired February 28, 2006, with new expiration dates of three years from the date of OMB approval. No comments were received E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM 11OCN1 57942 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 196 / Thursday, October 11, 2007 / Notices pursuant to FMCS’ prior 60 day notice published in the Federal Register on November 29, 2006. FMCS also is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the collections as described below. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 13, 2007. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments by mail to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of each of the agency forms are available from the FMCS Office of Arbitration Services by calling, faxing or writing Vella M. Traynham, Director of Arbitration Services, FMCS, 2100 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20427. Telephone (202) 606–5111; Fax (202) 606–3749. Please ask for the form by title and agency form number. rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES I. Information Collection Requests FMCS is seeking comments on the following Information Collection Requests (ICRs). Title: Arbitrator’s Personal Data Questionnaire; Form R–22; OMB No. 3076–0001; Expiration date: January 31, 2006. Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection with no change in the substance or method of collection. Affected Entities: Parties affected by this information collection are individuals who apply for admission to the FMCS Roster of Arbitrators. Frequency: Individuals complete this form once at the time of application to the FMCS Roster of Arbitrators. Abstract: Title II of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (Pub. L. 90–101), as amended in 1959 (Pub. L. 86–257) and 1974 (Pub. L. 93–360), states that it is the labor policy of the United States that ‘‘the settlement of issues between employers and employees through collective bargaining may be advanced by making available full and adequate governmental facilities for conciliation, mediation, and voluntary arbitration to aid and encourage employers and representatives of their employees to reach and maintain agreements concerning 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.’’ 29 U.S.C. 201(b). Under its VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:09 Oct 10, 2007 Jkt 214001 regulations at 29 CFR 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 persons 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 resolution experts on its Roster. To ensure that purpose, it requires all candidates to complete an application form. 29 CFR 1404.5. 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 the FMCS Roster. Burden Statement: The number of respondents is approximately 100 individuals per year, which is the approximate number of individuals who request membership on the FMCS Roster. The time required to complete this questionnaire is approximately 30 to 60 minutes. Each respondent is required to respond only once per application and to update the information as necessary. Title: Arbitrator’s Report and Fee Statement; Form R–19; OMB No. 3076– 0003; Expiration date: January 31, 2006. Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection with no change in the substance or method of collection. Affected Entities: Individual arbitrators who render decisions under FMCS arbitration policies and procedures. Frequency: This form is completed each time an arbitrator hears an arbitration case and issues a decision. 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 by requiring the completion and submission 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, if there were any extensions of the date the award was due, and the fees and days for services of the arbitrator (see 29 CFR 1404.14). This information is contained in the agency’s annual report to indicate the types of arbitration issues resolved, the applicable average or median PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 arbitration fees and days spent on each case. Burden Statement: FMCS receives approximately 2500 responses per year. The form is filled out each time an arbitrator hears a case and the time required is approximately ten minutes. FMCS uses this form to review arbitrator conformance with its fee and expense reporting requirements. Title: Request for Arbitration Services; Form R–43; OMB No. 3076–0002; Expiration date: February 28, 2006. Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection with no changes in the substance or method of collection. Affected Entities: Employers and their representatives, and labor unions, their representatives and employees, who request arbitration services. Frequency: This form is completed each time an employer or labor union requests a panel of arbitrators. 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 and type of assistance desired, so that FMCS can respond to requests efficiently and effectively for various arbitration services (see 29 CFR 1404.9). The purpose of this information collection is to facilitate the processing of the parties’ request for arbitration assistance. No third party notification or public disclosure burden is associated with this collection. Burden Statement: The current total annual burden estimate is that FMCS will receive requests from approximately 10,000 respondents per year. The form takes about 10 minutes to complete. Title: Notice to Mediation Agencies; Form F–7; OMB No. 3076–0004; Expiration date: January 31, 2006. Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection with no changes in the substance or method of collection. Affected Entities: Parties affected by this information collection are private sector employers and labor unions involved in interstate commerce that file notices for mediation services to the FMCS and state, local and territorial agencies. Frequency: Parties complete this form once, which is at the time of an impending expiration of a collective bargaining agreement. E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM 11OCN1 rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 196 / Thursday, October 11, 2007 / Notices 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 that 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)). Furthermore, the Act requires that parties 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 Territory where the dispute occurs (29 U.S.C. 158(d)(3)). The 1974 amendments to the National Labor Relations Act, which extended coverage to nonprofit health care institutions, also created a notification procedure in the health care industry requiring parties to notify each other 90 days in advance of termination and 60 days in advance to FMCS (29 U.S.C. 158(d)). This amendment also requires 30-day notification of bargaining for an initial agreement to the FMCS. To facilitate handling of more than 18,000 such notices a year, FMCS created a specific information collection form (see 29 CFR 1402.1). 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. The F–7 form 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, e-mail address, 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, e-mail address and official contact, contract expiration date or renewal date, whether the notice is on file on behalf of the employer or the union, and whether this is a health care industry notice for an initial contract, is critical for reporting and mediation purposes. VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:09 Oct 10, 2007 Jkt 214001 Burden Statement: The current annual burden estimate is approximately 18,000 respondents. This one-page form takes about 10 minutes to complete. 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. Dated: October 4, 2007. Michael J. Bartlett, Deputy General Counsel. [FR Doc. E7–19968 Filed 10–10–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6732–01–P FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE Labor Management Cooperation Program; Information Collection Request Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. ACTION: Notice of public information collection(s); request for comments. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s). The information collection requests are FMCS forms: Application for Federal Assistance (SF–424), Request for Advance or Reimbursement SF–270 (LM–6), Project Performance (LM–8), Financial Status Report SF–269a (LM– 7), Grants Program Grantee Evaluation Questionnaire (agency form LM–9), and Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire (LM–3). The request seeks Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a three-year expiration date of Forms SF–424, SF– 270 (LM–6), (LM–8), SF–269a (LM–7), (LM–9) and (LM–3) until October 2010. PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 57943 FMCS is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the collection as described below. DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act Comments must be submitted on or before December 10, 2007. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments identified by the appropriate agency form number by mail to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503. Copies of the complete agency forms may be obtained from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Labor Management Grants Program, 2100 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20427 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) 606–3434 or electronically by sending electronic (email) to Michael Bartlett, Federal Register Liaison at mbartlett@fmcs.gov or Linda Stubbs the Grants Management Specialist at lstubbs@fmcs.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 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 10235 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: Linda Stubbs, Grants Management Specialist, FMCS, 2100 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20427. Telephone number (202) 606–8181, e-mail to lstubbs@fmcs.gov or fax at (202) 606– 3434. I. Information Collection Requests FMCS is seeking comments on the following information collection requests contained in FMCS agency forms. Agency: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Form Number: OMB No. 3076–0006. Type of Request: Renewal without change of a currently approved E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM 11OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 196 (Thursday, October 11, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57941-57943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19968]


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FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

ACTION: Notice of OMB Review of Information Collection Forms R-22, R-
19, R-43 and F-7 submitted for reinstatement and solicitation of public 
comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces that four information collection 
requests contained among the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service 
(FMCS) agency forms have come up for renewal. Pursuant to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, FMCS is submitting to OMB requests for review of 
these four FMCS forms: Arbitrator's Report and Fee Statement (Agency 
Form R-19), Arbitrator's Personal Data Questionnaire (Agency Form R-
22), Request for Arbitration Services (Agency Form R-43) and Notice to 
Mediation Agencies (Agency Form F-7). These requests seek reinstatement 
of Forms R-19, R-22, and F-7, which expired January 31, 2006, and Form 
R-43, which expired February 28, 2006, with new expiration dates of 
three years from the date of OMB approval. No comments were received

[[Page 57942]]

pursuant to FMCS' prior 60 day notice published in the Federal Register 
on November 29, 2006. FMCS also is soliciting comments on specific 
aspects of the collections as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 13, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments by mail to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of 
Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 
Washington, DC 20503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of each of the agency forms are 
available from the FMCS Office of Arbitration Services by calling, 
faxing or writing Vella M. Traynham, Director of Arbitration Services, 
FMCS, 2100 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20427. Telephone (202) 606-
5111; Fax (202) 606-3749. 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; Form R-22; OMB No. 
3076-0001; Expiration date: January 31, 2006.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection 
with no change in the substance or method of collection.
    Affected Entities: Parties affected by this information collection 
are individuals who apply for admission to the FMCS Roster of 
Arbitrators.
    Frequency: Individuals complete this form once at the time of 
application to the FMCS Roster of Arbitrators.
    Abstract: Title II of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 
(Pub. L. 90-101), as amended in 1959 (Pub. L. 86-257) and 1974 (Pub. L. 
93-360), states that it is the labor policy of the United States that 
``the settlement of issues between employers and employees through 
collective bargaining may be advanced by making available full and 
adequate governmental facilities for conciliation, mediation, and 
voluntary arbitration to aid and encourage employers and 
representatives of their employees to reach and maintain agreements 
concerning 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.'' 29 U.S.C. 201(b). Under its regulations at 29 
CFR 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 persons 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 resolution experts 
on its Roster. To ensure that purpose, it requires all candidates to 
complete an application form. 29 CFR 1404.5. 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 the FMCS Roster.
    Burden Statement: The number of respondents is approximately 100 
individuals per year, which is the approximate number of individuals 
who request membership on the FMCS Roster. The time required to 
complete this questionnaire is approximately 30 to 60 minutes. Each 
respondent is required to respond only once per application and to 
update the information as necessary.
    Title: Arbitrator's Report and Fee Statement; Form R-19; OMB No. 
3076-0003; Expiration date: January 31, 2006.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection 
with no change in the substance or method of collection.
    Affected Entities: Individual arbitrators who render decisions 
under FMCS arbitration policies and procedures.
    Frequency: This form is completed each time an arbitrator hears an 
arbitration case and issues a decision.
    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 by requiring the completion and 
submission 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, if there 
were any extensions of the date the award was due, and the fees and 
days for services of the arbitrator (see 29 CFR 1404.14). This 
information is contained in the agency's annual report to indicate the 
types of arbitration issues resolved, the applicable average or median 
arbitration fees and days spent on each case.
    Burden Statement: FMCS receives approximately 2500 responses per 
year. The form is filled out each time an arbitrator hears a case and 
the time required is approximately ten minutes. FMCS uses this form to 
review arbitrator conformance with its fee and expense reporting 
requirements.
    Title: Request for Arbitration Services; Form R-43; OMB No. 3076-
0002; Expiration date: February 28, 2006.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection 
with no changes in the substance or method of collection.
    Affected Entities: Employers and their representatives, and labor 
unions, their representatives and employees, who request arbitration 
services.
    Frequency: This form is completed each time an employer or labor 
union requests a panel of arbitrators.
    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 and type of assistance desired, so 
that FMCS can respond to requests efficiently and effectively for 
various arbitration services (see 29 CFR 1404.9). The purpose of this 
information collection is to facilitate the processing of the parties' 
request for arbitration assistance. No third party notification or 
public disclosure burden is associated with this collection.
    Burden Statement: The current total annual burden estimate is that 
FMCS will receive requests from approximately 10,000 respondents per 
year. The form takes about 10 minutes to complete.
    Title: Notice to Mediation Agencies; Form F-7; OMB No. 3076-0004; 
Expiration date: January 31, 2006.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved collection 
with no changes in the substance or method of collection.
    Affected Entities: Parties affected by this information collection 
are private sector employers and labor unions involved in interstate 
commerce that file notices for mediation services to the FMCS and 
state, local and territorial agencies.
    Frequency: Parties complete this form once, which is at the time of 
an impending expiration of a collective bargaining agreement.

[[Page 57943]]

    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 that 
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)). Furthermore, the Act requires that 
parties 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 Territory where the dispute occurs 
(29 U.S.C. 158(d)(3)). The 1974 amendments to the National Labor 
Relations Act, which extended coverage to nonprofit health care 
institutions, also created a notification procedure in the health care 
industry requiring parties to notify each other 90 days in advance of 
termination and 60 days in advance to FMCS (29 U.S.C. 158(d)). This 
amendment also requires 30-day notification of bargaining for an 
initial agreement to the FMCS. To facilitate handling of more than 
18,000 such notices a year, FMCS created a specific information 
collection form (see 29 CFR 1402.1). 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. The F-7 
form 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, e-
mail address, 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, 
e-mail address and official contact, contract expiration date or 
renewal date, whether the notice is on file on behalf of the employer 
or the union, and whether this is a health care industry notice for an 
initial contract, is critical for reporting and mediation purposes.
    Burden Statement: The current annual burden estimate is 
approximately 18,000 respondents. This one-page form takes about 10 
minutes to complete.

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.

    Dated: October 4, 2007.
Michael J. Bartlett,
Deputy General Counsel.
 [FR Doc. E7-19968 Filed 10-10-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6732-01-P
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