Notice2026-19208
Notice of Proposed Information Collection Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 21, 2026
Issuing agencies
National Mediation Board
Abstract
The National Mediation Board (NMB) invites comments on the proposed information collection request as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The NMB is seeking the reinstatement, with non- substantive change, of a previously approved collection of information, entitled "Application for Mediation Services." The change to the information collection is a non-substantive one related to the change in the agency's Washington, DC headquarters address, which was effective August 1, 2026. This notice allows for 60 days for public comments.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 181 (Monday, September 21, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 181 (Monday, September 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59810-59812]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19208]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD
Notice of Proposed Information Collection Request
AGENCY: National Mediation Board.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Mediation Board (NMB) invites comments on the
proposed information collection request as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995. The NMB is seeking the reinstatement, with non-
substantive change, of a previously approved collection of information,
entitled ``Application for Mediation Services.'' The change to the
information collection is a non-substantive one related to the change
in the agency's Washington, DC headquarters address, which was
effective August 1, 2026. This notice allows for 60 days for public
comments.
DATES: Comments are due by November 20, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the proposed information collection
request should be directed by email (the preferred method) to NMB
Program Management Specialist Keaira Butler at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d6bdb3b7bfa4b7f8b4a3a2bab3a496b8bbb4f8b1b9a0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cba0aeaaa2b9aae5a9bebfa7aeb98ba5a6a9e5aca4bd">[email protected]</span></a>,
or mailed to Keaira Butler at National Mediation Board, Office of Legal
Affairs, P.O. Box 23300, Washington, DC 20026. Please specify the
complete title of the information collection when making your request.
Comments on the proposed information collection request should be
directed by email (the preferred method) to NMB Counsel John Gross at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5136233e2222113f3c337f363e27"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f89f8a978b8bb896959ad69f978e">[email protected]</span></a>, or by mail to John Gross at National Mediation Board,
Office of Legal Affairs, P.O. Box 23300, Washington, DC 20026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Gross, Counsel, National
Mediation Board, National Mediation Board, Office of Legal Affairs,
P.O. Box 23300, Washington, DC 20026; telephone number: 202-815-1647;
email address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3255405d4141725c5f501c555d44"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="492e3b263a3a0927242b672e263f">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act
of
[[Page 59811]]
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 NMB 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 NMB is soliciting comments concerning the proposed
reinstatement, with non-substantive change, of a previously approved
collection of information, entitled ``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.
Title of Collection: Application for Mediation Services.
OMB Control Number: 3140-0002.
Type of Review: Reinstatement, with non-substantive change, of a
previously approved collection of information.
Affected Public: Carrier and Labor Union Officials, and employees
of railroads and airlines.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:
Responses: 25 annually.
Burden Hours: 6.25.
1. Abstract: Section 5, First, of the Railway Labor Act (RLA), 45
U.S.C. 155, First, provides that both, or either, of the parties to a
labor/management dispute may invoke the mediation services of the NMB.
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 collective bargaining disputes in the railroad and
airline industries. The NMB's duties do not arise until its services
have been invoked by a party to the dispute. The RLA is silent as to
how the invocation of the mediation services of the NMB is to be
accomplished and the NMB has not promulgated regulations requiring any
specific vehicle. Nonetheless, 29 CFR 1203.1, provides that
applications for the mediation services of the NMB under Section 5,
First, of the RLA, may be made on printed forms secured from the NMB or
on the internet at <a href="http://www.nmb.gov">http://www.nmb.gov</a>. 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 RLA or by the
chief executive of the labor organization, whichever party files the
application.
2. The reinstatement of this form is necessary considering the
information provided by the parties is used by the NMB to structure a
mediation process that will be productive to the parties and result in
a settlement, hopefully, without resort to a strike or lockout. The NMB
has been very successful in resolving labor disputes in the railroad
and airline industries. Historically, approximately 97 percent of all
NMB mediation cases have been successfully resolved without
interruption to public transportation services. This success ratio
would possibly be reduced if the NMB was unable to collect the brief
information it does on the Application for Mediation Services.
3. There is no improved technological method for obtaining this
information. The burden on the parties is minimal in completing the
one-page Application for Mediation Services.
4. There is no duplication in obtaining this information. The
information sought in the Application for Mediation Services constantly
changes and is known at any given time only to the labor and management
parties involved. Thus, there is no similar information available
elsewhere.
5. This collection does not impact small businesses or other small
entities.
6. Although the Application for Mediation Services is required by
29 CFR 1203.1, parties determine when to submit the applications. The
NMB has no ability to control the frequency of applications or the
technical or legal obstacles, which would reduce the burden.
7. The information requested by the NMB is consistent with the
general information collection guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.6 and 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3). The NMB has no ability to control the data provided or
timing of the invocation. The burden on the parties is minimal in
completing the Application for Mediation Services.
8. No payments or gifts have been provided by the NMB to any
respondents of the form.
9. There are no questions of a sensitive nature on the form.
10. The total time burden on respondents is 6.25 hours annually--
this is the time required to collect information. After consulting with
a sample of people involved with the collection of this information,
the time to complete this information collection is estimated to
average 15 minutes per response, including gathering the data needed
and completion and review of the information.
Number of respondents per year: 25.
Estimated time per respondent: 15 minutes.
Total Burden hours per year: 6.25 (25 x .25 hours).
11. The total collection and mail cost burden on respondents is
estimated at $205.60 annually ($201.50 time cost burden + $4.10 mail
cost burden).
a. The respondents will not incur any capital costs or start up
costs for this collection.
b. Cost burden on respondents--detail:
The total time burden annual cost is $201.50.
Time Burden Basis: The total hourly burden per year, upon
respondents, is 6.25.
Staff cost = $201.50.
$32.24 per hour--based on mid level clerical salary.
$32.24 x 6.25 hours per year = $201.50.
We are estimating that a mid-level clerical person, with an average
salary of $32.24 per hour, will be completing the Application for
Mediation Services form. The total burden is estimated at 6.25 hours,
therefore, the total time burden cost is estimated at $201.50 per year.
The total annual mailing cost to respondents is $4.10.
Number of applications mailed by
Respondents per year: 5 (The NMB receives 5 or fewer by regular
mail each year; the vast majority are sent to the NMB by email.)
[[Page 59812]]
Total estimated cost: $4.10 (5 x .82 stamp).
The collection of this information is not mandatory; it is a
voluntary request from carrier and union officials and airline and
railroad carrier employees seeking to invoke mediation services. The
NMB will send the form to the carriers and labor organizations upon
request. The form is also available on the internet at <a href="http://www.nmb.gov">http://www.nmb.gov</a>, which is the primary source of the form.
12. The total annualized Federal cost is $340.00. This cost
represents the processing cost of the applications once they are
received by the NMB. There are no printing and mailing costs. (The NMB
has not received any requests to print and mail a form for a number of
years.) The completed applications are maintained by the Office of
Mediation Services.
a. Processing Cost = $340.00.
Basis (processing cost): Mediation is requested approximately 25
times per year and it takes approximately 20 minutes to process each
application.
Staff Cost = $340.00.
$.68 per minute (GS 11 Step 1 base hourly rate of $40.94 per hr. /
60).
$.68 x 20 minutes per application = $13.60.
$13.60 x 25 times per year = $340.00.
13. Item 13--no change in annual reporting and recordkeeping hour
burden.
14. The information collected by the application will not be
published.
15. The NMB will display the OMB expiration date on the form.
16(a)--the form does not reduce the burden on small entities;
however, the burden is minimized and voluntary.
16(b)--the form does not indicate the retention period for record
keeping requirements.
16(c)--not applicable, the form is not part of a statistical
survey.
Dated: September 16, 2026.
Michael Jerger,
Chief Financial Officer, Acting Director of Administration, National
Mediation Board.
[FR Doc. 2026-19208 Filed 9-18-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7550-01-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 21, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.