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Participants: The agenda for the conference is being designed to provide forums for all of the key members of the unemployment insurance appellate process to exchange ideas and expertise with their counterparts from other States. The administrative supervisors and managers of the lower and higher authority appeals units do not often have an opportunity for a national discussion of their common concerns about dealing with appeals operational issues. UIS is attempting to provide that opportunity, at least, every three years. The agenda is also being designed for unemployment insurance appellate board and commission members, chief hearing officers and supervisors responsible for lower authority appellate adjudications, and the chief counsels and chief executive officers of the various higher authority boards and commissions. Agenda: Current plans are for the conference to begin late Sunday afternoon, June 15, 1997 and end late Thursday afternoon, June 19, 1997. Tentative agenda topics include the following: GENERAL TOPICS 1. Service quality; 2. Coping with frustration and stress in the administrative adjudication process; 3. Ethics - Dealing with and reporting unethical conduct before, during, and after hearings on the part of attorneys; and ethical problems facing administrative staff; 4. Automation demonstrations; 5. Security and safety issues; and 6. Workshop on training, conducting workshops, panels, etc. MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE TOPICS 1. The changing roles of administrative and professional staff and other personnel issues; 2. Process analysis and new ideas for appeals unit operations and procedures; 3. Office equipment solutions to various problems; 4. Work flow and communication between higher authority and lower authority; 5. Ideas for saving hearing time; 6. Using management reports and data as tools in managing appellate operations; 7. Lower authority workload counting & quality evaluation; 8. Telecommuting/flexiplace & flexitime; and 9. Obtaining and using interpreters. LEGAL ISSUES/TOPICS 1. Establishing standards of and for telephone hearings; 2. Filing appeals by telephone; 3. Records that must be maintained and hearings that must be held when bias or ex parte communication is alleged; 4. Drug and drug testing issues; 5. Limits of good cause attributable to the employer; 6. Walking off the job and intent to quit and medical leave issues; 7. Separations under early retirement programs; 8. Enforcement of no smoking rules and no-fault attendance policies and misconduct; 9. Misconduct cases involving nursing homes and health care workers; 10. Decisions based exclusively on hearsay; 11. Americans with Disabilities Act and mental and emotional illness; 12. Labor standards - scope of labor market for different occupations; 13. Precedent value of related administrative/criminal proceedings; and 14. Waiver of overpayments - differing standards. Meeting Particulars and Costs: Specific information about hotel accommodations, the final agenda, and related matters will be provided in an Unemployment Insurance Program Letter which will be published at a later date. Tentative lodging costs are $95.00 plus tax per night for single or double occupancy. There will be a conference fee of about $200 for each participant. The conference fee is needed to cover the costs of guest speakers' fees and expenses, lunches, two dinners, and various expenses for meeting logistics. Action Required: SESA Administrators are requested to provide this information to the above-described SESA personnel and appellate board members and staff.

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To preserve the formatting of this document, it has been converted to PDF (Portable Document Format) to retain its original layout. Click on the link below to view, save, or print out the document.

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Reference: 20 CFR 653.108(e) and 20 CFR 658.602(c). Background: The Midwest Association of Farmworker Organizations will be conducting a national farmworker conference in San Antonio, Texas on March 2-7, 1997. The conference has been planned to provide participants with sessions that will allow them an opportunity for the discussion of the most current and urgent educational, labor, health and various social issues affecting the nation's farmworker population. The purpose of the Conference is to highlight successful farmworker programs and to provide a forum that will allow individuals to develop linkages and projects through a collective and collaborative process leading to improved and comprehen- sive services for farmworkers. The sessions will be designed to facilitate specific recommendations for the development of comprehensive services that address the needs of the nation's farmworkers. Monitor Advocate Meeting: There has been considerable turnover in the Monitor Advocate positions at the National, Regional and State levels since the MSFW Regulations were initially promulgated on June 10, 1980. Many of our present Monitor Advocates never received complete training on the regulations. Additionally, the new initiatives of the Department of Labor require that existing programs adapt themselves to these initiatives. Therefore, it is necessary that the Monitor Advocate System re-examine its initial mandate so that its staff will be able to contribute to the adaptation of the Monitor Advocate Program to the new initiatives within their geographic area. A special track has been established during the conference for Monitor Advocate Training. The special track will cover the following topics: (a) Coordinated Enforcement (b) Litigation Settlement and Summary of Regulation Changes (c) Program Budget Plan (d) Services to MSFWs (e) Complaints, Violations, Discontinuation of Services (f) Reporting (g) Review and Assessment (h) Agricultural Clearance Order Activity Participants: It is important that all Monitor Advocates participate in the conference. Accommodations: The conference will be held at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The Hotel telephone number is 1-800-28-TEXAS. Ask the Hotel for the National Farmworkers Conference/MAFO Group Room Rates which are $79.13 single and $83.13 double plus tax. Pre-registration forms will be mailed directly to all Monitor Advocates by MAFO. Action Required: SESA Administrators are requested to encourage attendance of Monitor Advocate staff.

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