[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2266-2267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-953]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Bureau of International Labor Affairs; U.S. National 
Administrative Office; North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation; 
Hearing on Submission #9702

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Labor.

ACTION: Notice of hearing.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce a hearing, open to 
the public, on Submission #9702.

    Submission #9702, filed with the U.S. National Administrative 
Office (NAO) by the Support Committee for Maquiladora Workers (SCMW), 
the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF), and the Union of Metal, 
Steel, Iron, and Allied Workers Union (Sindicato de Trabajadores de la 
Industria Metalica, Acero, Hierro, Conexos y Similares--STIMAHCS) of 
Mexico raises issues of freedom of association involving workers at an 
export processing (maquiladora) plant. The submission was accepted for 
review by the NAO on November 17, 1997 and a Notice of acceptance for 
review was published in the Federal Register on November 20, 1997.
    Article 16 (3) of the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation 
(NAALC) provides for the review of labor law matters in Canada and 
Mexico by the NAO in accordance with U.S. domestic procedures. Revised 
procedural guidelines pertaining to the submission, review, and 
reporting process utilized by the Office were published in the Federal 
Register on April 7, 1994 (59 FR 16660). The guidelines provide for a 
discretionary hearing as part of the review.

DATES: The hearing will be held on February 18, 1998, commencing at 
9:00 a.m. Persons desiring to present oral testimony at the hearing 
must submit a request in writing, along with a written statement or 
brief describing the information to be presented or position to be 
taken.

ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held in San Diego, California at a 
location to be announced. Written statements or briefs and requests to 
present oral testimony may be mailed or hand delivered to the

[[Page 2267]]

U.S. National Administrative Office (NAO), Department of Labor, 200 
Constitutional Avenue, N.W., Room C-4327, Washington, D.C. 20210. 
Requests to present oral testimony and written statements or briefs 
must be received by the NAO no later than close of business, February 
4, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irasema T. Garza, Secretary, U.S. 
National Administrative Office, Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 
Avenue, N.W., Room C-4327, Washington, D.C. 20210. Telephone: (202) 
501-6653 (this is not a toll free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Nature and Conduct of Hearing

    As set out in the notice published in the Federal Register on 
November 20, 1997, the objective of the NAO's review of the submission 
is to gather information to better understand and publicly report on 
the Government of Mexico's promotion of, compliance with, and effective 
enforcement of, its labor law through appropriate government action, as 
set out in Article 3(1) of the NAALC, and on the steps the Government 
of Mexico has taken to ensure access to tribunals for the enforcement 
of labor law and recourse to procedures under which labor rights are 
protected in accordance with Articles 4 and 5 of the NAALC.
    The hearing will be conducted by the Secretary of the NAO or the 
Secretary's designee. It will be open to the public. All proceedings 
will be conducted in English, with simultaneous translation in English 
and Spanish provided. The public files for the submission, including 
written statements, briefs, and requests to present oral testimony, 
will be made a part of the appropriate hearing record. The public files 
will also be available for inspection at the NAO prior to the hearing.
    The hearing will be transcribed. A transcript of the proceeding 
will be made available for inspection, as provided for in Section E of 
the procedural guidelines, or may be purchased from the reporting 
company.
    Persons with disabilities should contact the Secretary of the NAO 
no later than February 12, 1998 if special accommodations are needed.

II. Written Statements or Brief and Requests to Present Oral 
Testimony

    Written statements or briefs shall provide a description of the 
information to be presented or position taken and shall be legibly 
typed or printed. Requests to present oral testimony shall include the 
name, address, and telephone number of the witness, the organization 
represented, if any, and any other information pertinent to the 
request. Five copies of a statement or brief and a single copy of a 
request to present oral testimony shall be submitted to the NAO at the 
time of filing.
    No request to present oral testimony will be considered unless 
accompanied by a written statement or brief. A request to present oral 
testimony may be denied if the written statement or brief suggests that 
the information sought to be provided is unrelated to the review of the 
submission or for other appropriate reasons. The NAO will notify each 
requester of the disposition of the request to present oral testimony.
    In presenting testimony, the witness should summarize the written 
statement or brief, may supplement the written statement or brief, with 
relevant information, and should be prepared to answer questions from 
the Secretary of the NAO or the Secretary's designee. Oral testimony 
will ordinarily be limited to a ten minute presentation, not including 
the time for questions. Persons desiring more than ten minutes for 
their presentation should so state in the request, setting out reasons 
why additional time is necessary.
    The requirements relating to the submission of written statements 
or briefs and requests to present oral testimony may be waived by the 
Secretary of the NAO for reasons of equity and public interest.

    Signed at Washington, DC on January 8, 1998.
Irasema T. Garza,
Secretary, U.S. National Administrative Office.
[FR Doc. 98-953 Filed 1-13-98; 8:45 am]
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