[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9845-9846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-4550]


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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 U.S. Submission 2003-01

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 U.S. Submission 2003-01.
    U.S. Submission 2003-01 was filed with the U.S. National 
Administrative Office (NAO) on September 30, 2003, by the U.S.-based 
United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), the Mexico-based Centro de 
Apoyo al Trabajador (CAT) and the Canada-based Maquiladora Solidarity 
Network. The submitters filed an amendment to the submission on 
November 10, 2003. The submission was accepted for review by the NAO on 
February 5, 2004, and a notice of acceptance for review was published 
in the Federal Register, 69 FR 6691 (February 11, 2004).
    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 domestic procedures, and Section H 
of the NAO procedural guidelines, 59 FR 16660 (April 7, 1994), requires 
a hearing on the submission unless the Secretary determines that a 
hearing would not be a suitable method for carrying out the NAO's 
responsibilities.

DATES: The hearing will be held on April 1, 2004, commencing at 9 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 the position to be taken.

ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held in Room N4437A-D, fourth (4th) 
floor, at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20210. Written statements or briefs and requests to 
present oral testimony may be mailed, e-mailed ([email protected]), or hand 
delivered to the U.S. National Administrative Office, U.S. Department 
of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S-5205, Washington, DC 
20210. Due to processing delays for regular mail resulting from 
increased security procedures, it is strongly recommended that all 
correspondence be submitted electronically ([email protected]) or be hand 
delivered. Requests to present oral testimony and written statements or 
briefs must be received by the NAO no later than close of business 
March 22, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lewis Karesh, Acting Secretary, U.S. 
National Administrative Office, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S-5205, Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: 
(202) 693-4900 (this is not a toll-free number).

[[Page 9846]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Nature and Conduct of Hearing

    As set out in the notice published in the Federal Register on 
February 11, 2004, the objective of the review of the submission will 
be to gather information to assist the NAO to better understand and 
publicly report on issues raised in the submission, including freedom 
of association and protection of the right to organize, the right to 
bargain collectively, minimum employment standards, occupational safety 
and health, and access to fair, equitable and transparent labor 
tribunal proceedings, as they relate to the Government of Mexico's 
compliance with the obligations set forth in 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 interpretation in 
English and Spanish provided as appropriate and necessary. 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 NAO procedural guidelines, or may be purchased from the reporting 
company.
    Disabled persons should contact the Secretary of the NAO no later 
than March 22, 2004 if special accommodations are needed.

II. Written Statements or Briefs 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. If not filed electronically, 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 February 25, 2004.
Lewis Karesh,
Acting Secretary, U.S. National Administrative Office.
[FR Doc. 04-4550 Filed 3-1-04; 8:45 am]
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