[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 212 (Friday, October 31, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 64991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25970]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY: National Mediation Board.

SUMMARY: The Director, Office of Administration, invites comments on 
the proposed information collection requests as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments within 30 days 
from the date of this publication.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an 
early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. OMB 
may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the 
extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat 
the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal 
law, or substantially interfere with any agency's ability to perform 
its statutory obligations. The Director, Office of Administration, 
publishes that notice containing proposed information collection 
requests prior to submission of these requests to OMB. Each proposed 
information collection contains the following: (1) Type of review 
requested, e.g., new, revision extension, existing or reinstatement; 
(2) Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) Description of the need 
for, and proposed use of, the information; (5) Respondents and 
frequency of collection; and (6) Reporting and/or Record keeping 
burden. OMB invites public comment.
    Currently, the National Mediation Board is soliciting comments 
concerning the proposed extension of the Application for Mediation 
Services and is interested in public comment addressing the following 
issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the 
agency; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely 
manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the 
agency enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and (5) how might the agency minimize the burden of this 
collection on the respondents, including through the use of information 
technology.

    Dated: October 27, 2008.
June D.W. King,
Director, Office of Administration, National Mediation Board.

Application for Mediation Services

    Type of Review: Extension.
    Title: Application for Mediation Services, OMB Number: 3140-0002.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Affected Public: Carrier and Union Officials, and employees of 
railroads and airlines.
    Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:
     Responses: 50 annually.
     Burden Hours: 12.50.
    Abstract: Section 5, First of the Railway Labor Act, 45 U.S.C., 
155, First, provides that both, or either, of the parties to the labor-
management dispute may invoke the mediation services of the National 
Mediation Board. Congress has determined that it is in the nation's 
best interest to provide for governmental mediation as the primary 
dispute resolution mechanism to resolve labor-management disputes in 
the railroad and airline industries. The Railway Labor Act is silent as 
to how the invocation of mediation is to be accomplished and the Board 
has not promulgated regulations requiring any specific vehicle. 
Nonetheless, 29 CFR 1203.1 provides that applications for mediation 
services be made on printed forms which may be secured from the 
National Mediation Board. This section of the regulations provides that 
applications should be submitted in duplicate, show the exact nature of 
the dispute, the number of employees involved, name of the carrier and 
name of the labor organization, date of agreement between the parties, 
date and copy of notice served by the invoking party to the other and 
date of final conference between the parties. The application should be 
signed by the highest officer of the carrier who has been designated to 
handle disputes under the Railway Labor Act or by the chief executive 
of the labor organization, whichever party files the application.
    The extension of this form is necessary considering the information 
provided by the parties is used by the Board to structure a mediation 
process that will be productive to the parties and result in a 
settlement without resort to strike or lockout. The Board has been very 
successful in resolving labor disputes in the railroad and airline 
industries. Historically, some 97 percent of all NMB mediation cases 
have been successfully resolved without interruptions to public 
service. Since 1980, only slightly more than 1 percent of cases have 
involved a disruption of service. This success ratio would possibly be 
reduced if the Board was unable to collect the brief information that 
it does in the application for mediation services.
    Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request 
may be accessed from www.nmb.gov or should be addressed to Denise 
Murdock, NMB, 1301 K Street, NW., Suite 250 E, Washington, DC 20005 or 
addressed to the e-mail address [email protected] or faxed to 202-692-
5081. Please specify the complete title of the information collection 
when making your request.
    Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity 
requirements should be directed to June D.W. King at 202-692-5010 or 
via Internet address [email protected]. Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD/TDY) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

[FR Doc. E8-25970 Filed 10-30-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7550-01-P