Agency Information Collection Activities: Extension of Existing Collection; Comment Request

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

Agency Information Collection Activities: Extension of Existing

Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Information Collection Under Review; Local Union

Report (EEO-3).

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

(EEOC) announces that it intends to submit to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) a request for an extension of the existing information

collection listed below.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be submitted on or before

December 13, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to Frances M. Hart, Executive

Officer, Executive Secretariat, Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission, 10th Floor, 1801 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20507. As a

convenience to commentators, the Executive Secretariat will accept

comments transmitted by facsimile (``FAX'') machine. The telephone

number of the FAX receiver is (202) 663-4114. (This is not a toll-free

number.) Only comments of six or fewer

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pages will be accepted via FAX transmittal. This limitation is

necessary to assure access to the equipment. Receipt of FAX

transmittals will not be acknowledged, except that the sender may

request confirmation of receipt by calling the Executive Secretariat

staff at (202) 663-4078 (voice) or (202) 663-4074 (TDD). (These are not

toll-free telephone numbers.) Copies of comments submitted by the

public will be available to review at the Commission's library, Room

6502, 1801 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20507 between the hours of 9:30

and 5:00 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joachim Neckere, Director, Program

Research and Surveys Division, 1801 L Street, NW, Room 9222,

Washington, DC 20507, (202) 663-4958 (voice) or (202) 663-7063 (TDD).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission solicits public comment to

enable it to:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is

necessary for the proper performance of the Commission's functions,

including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the Commission's estimate of the

burden of the proposed collection of information, including the

validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to

be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those

who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic

submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

Collection Title: Local Union Report (EEO-3).

OMB Number: 3046-0006.

Frequency of Report: Biennial.

Type of Respondent: Referral local unions with 100 or more members.

Description of Affected Public: Referral local unions and

independent or unaffiliated referral unions and similar labor

organizations.

Responses: 3,000.

Reporting Hours: 3,000 (4,500 hours including recordkeeping).

Number of Forms: 1.

Federal Cost: $43,500.

Abstract: Section 709(c) of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of

1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 2000e-8(c), requires employers, employment

agencies, and labor organizations to make and keep records relevant to

a determination of whether unlawful employment practices have or are

being committed and to make reports therefrom as required by the EEOC.

Accordingly, the EEOC has issued regulations which set forth the

reporting requirement for various kinds of labor organizations--

Referral local unions with 100 or more have been required to submit

EEO-3 reports since 1967 (biennially since 1985). The individual

reports are confidential.

EEO-3 data are used by the EEOC to investigate charges of

discrimination against referral local unions. In addition, the data are

used to support EEOC decisions and conciliations, and for research.

Pursuant to section 709(d) of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of

1964, as amended, EEO-3 data are also shared with 86 State and Local

Fair Employment Practices Agencies (FEPAs) and other government

agencies.

Burden Statement: The respondent burden for this information

collection is minimal. The estimated number of respondents included in

the annual EEO-3 survey is 3,000 referral local unions. Since each

union files one EEO-3 report, the number responses is 3,000. The total

biennial reporting burden is estimated to be 3,000 hours, and total

biennial reporting and recordkeeping burden is 4,500 hours.

This is an average burden estimate and is based on a long history

of reporting experience. The burden is dependent on the size of the

referral local union and on the number of referrals made by the union

during the reporting period. Smaller unions may well take under an hour

to complete the report. Over the years, the Commission has reduced the

reporting and record keeping burden by eliminating all local unions

with fewer than 100 members, by requiring record keeping for a two

month period only, by changing the data collection instrument, and by

changing the frequency of the data collection from an annual to a

biennial basis. Further reductions, such as filing by diskette or

magnetic tape, have been less successful because referral local unions

appear less likely to have computerized record keeping and reporting

capabilities.

Dated: October 6, 1999.

For the Commission.

Ida L. Castro,

Chairwoman.

[FR Doc. 99-26790 Filed 10-13-99; 8:45 am]

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