[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23550-23551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09831]


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FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE


Labor-Management Relations Information Collection Requests

AGENCY: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden of arbitrators and 
parties that request arbitration services 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 requests. The information collection requests 
are FMCS forms: Arbitrator's Report and Fee Statement (Agency Form R-
19), Arbitrator's Personal Data Questionnaire (Agency Form R-22), and 
Request for Arbitration Panel (Agency Form R-43). These information 
collection requests were previously approved by the Office of 
Management Budget (OMB), and we are requesting a reinstatement without 
change to the collections. These information collection requests were 
assigned the OMB control numbers 3076-0001, 3076-0002, and 3076-0003.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 29, 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 headed 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. Information not marked confidential may 
be disclosed publicly by FMCS 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 each of the agency forms 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 
requests contained in FMCS agency forms.
    Agency: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
    Form Number: OMB No. 3076-0001.
    Name of Form: Arbitrator's Personal Data Questionnaire (FMCS form 
R-22).
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a collection without change in 
the substance or method of collection.
    Affected Entities: Individuals who apply for admission to the FMCS 
Roster of Arbitrators.
    Frequency: Individuals complete this form once, which is 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 person 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 asks all candidates to 
complete an application form. The purpose of this collection is to 
gather information about applicants for inclusion in the Roster of 
Arbitrators. This collection is needed to evaluate applicants and to 
select among the applicants highly qualified individuals for inclusion 
on the Roster. Without this collection, FMCS will be unable to maintain 
or expand its Roster. The respondents are private citizens who make 
application for appointment to the Roster.
    Burden: 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 one hour. Each respondent is required to 
respond only once per application and to update the information as 
necessary.
    Agency: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
    Form Number: OMB No. 3076-0003
    Name of Form: Arbitrator's Report and Fee Statement (FMCS Form R-
19)
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a collection without 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.

[[Page 23551]]

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 
waivers by parties on the date the award was due, and the fees and days 
for services of the arbitrator. FMCS publishes this information in the 
agency's annual report, to inform the public about the arbitration 
services program and certain national trends in arbitration.
    Burden: FMCS receives approximately 1,984 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.
    Agency: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
    Form Number: OMB No. 3076-0002
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of a collection without change in 
the substance or method of collection.
    Name of Form: Request for Arbitration Panel (FMCS Form R-43)
    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. This form is used to obtain information 
such as the parties' names, addresses, and the type of assistance 
needed. FMCS uses this information to compile panels, selecting 
arbitrators based in part on such factors as dispute location and issue 
expertise. 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: The current total annual burden estimate is that FMCS will 
receive requests from approximately 13,179 respondents per year. The 
form takes about 10 minutes to complete.

II. Request for Comments

    FMCS solicits comments to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed collections of information are 
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 collections 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 Collection Requests.

    Dated: April 23, 2015.
Jeannette Walters-Marquez,
Attorney Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2015-09831 Filed 4-27-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6732-01-P