[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 212 (Monday, November 3, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 59300-59301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28971]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 212 / Monday, November 3, 1997 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 59300]]
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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
5 CFR Part 532
RIN 3206-AI06
Prevailing Rate Systems; Removal of Putnam, Richmond, and
Rockland Counties, NY, and Monmouth County, NJ, from the New York, NY,
Appropriated Fund Survey Area
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed rule
that would remove Putnam, Richmond, and Rockland Counties, NY, and
Monmouth County, NJ, from the survey area of the New York, NY,
appropriated fund Federal Wage System wage area. The four counties
would remain in the area of application of the New York, NY, wage area.
DATES: Comments must be received by December 3, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Donald J. Winstead, Assistant
Director for Compensation Policy, Human Resources Systems Service,
Office of Personnel Management, Room 7H31, 1900 E Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20415, or FAX: (202) 606-0824.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Frank Derby at (202) 606-2848, or e-mail: fjderby@opm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is
engaged in an ongoing project to review the geographic definitions of
selected Federal Wage System (FWS) appropriated fund wage areas. OPM
recently reviewed the definition of the New York, New York, FWS wage
area and is proposing the change described below.
When the Federal Wage System was established in 1972, the New York,
NY, survey area was composed of Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens,
Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties, NY; and Essex,
Hudson, Morris, and Union Counties, NJ. In 1975, the Federal Prevailing
Rate Advisory Committee agreed by consensus with a proposal to
recommend that the New York, NY, survey area be expanded to include
Putnam County, NY; and Bergen, Middlesex, Monmouth, Passaic, and
Somerset Counties, NJ. This change was made so as to include 100
percent of the New York wage area's FWS employment in the New York, NY,
survey area and to provide for a larger number of surveyable private
industrial establishments.
As the largest FWS survey--with a sample of more than 900
industrial establishments--the New York, NY, FWS wage survey has become
increasingly difficult to conduct because its logistical demands create
unusual burdens on local agency activities already strained by
downsizing and budget constraints. To reduce the logistical burdens of
the New York, NY, FWS wage survey, OPM would remove Putnam, Richmond,
and Rockland Counties, NY; and Monmouth County, NJ, from the New York,
NY, survey area. Of the 19 counties in the New York, NY, survey area,
OPM proposes that these four counties be removed from the survey area
because their removal appears to offer the best means of reducing the
logistical burdens of surveys in the New York, NY, wage area while
least affecting the determination of prevailing rates for FWS employees
in that wage area.
Putnam County is located north of Westchester County, New York.
There are currently no FWS employees stationed in Putnam County and, in
addition, there are only 11 surveyable private industrial
establishments in the county (less than 1 percent of the wage area
total).
Richmond County, Staten Island, is accessible from the rest of the
New York, NY, survey area only via four toll bridges. There are
currently about 91 FWS employees stationed in Richmond County (2
percent of the wage are total). There are only 33 surveyable private
industrial establishments in Richmond County (less than 1 percent of
the wage area total).
Rockland County is located to the north of Bergen County, New
Jersey, and to the west of Westchester County, New York. There are
currently no FWS employees stationed in Rockland County and, in
addition, there are only 72 surveyable private industrial
establishments in the county (1 percent of the wage area total).
Monmouth County is located to the south of Middlesex County, New
Jersey, and is the southeastern-most county in the New York, NY, wage
area. There are currently about 335 FWS employees stationed in Monmouth
County (8 percent of the wage area total). When Monmouth County was
added to the New York, NY, survey area in 1975, there were more than
1,500 FWS employees stationed in the county. While there were about
1,000 FWS employees stationed at Fort Monmouth in 1975, there are now
only about 60 FWS employees stationed at that installation. In
addition, there are only 133 surveyable private industrial
establishments in the county (2 percent of the wage area total).
The removal of these four counties from the New York, NY, FWS
survey area would leave 90 percent of the wage area's FWS employment in
the New York, NY, survey area, and would include the number of
surveyable private industrial establishments in the New York, NY,
survey universe by only 4 percent. OPM also considered the possible
removal of other counties from the New York survey area but none
appeared to offer as convincing a rationale for removal as do Putnam,
Richmond, Rockland, or Monmouth Counties.
The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the statutory
national-level labor-management committee responsible for advising OPM
on matters concerning the pay of FWS employees, has reviewed and
concurred by consensus with this proposed change.
Because of a typographical error in appendix C to subpart B of 5
CFR part 532, the wage area listing for the New York, NY wage area
follows immediately after the wage area listing for the Newburgh, NY,
wage area without showing the title of the New York, NY, wage area.
This rule would correct that inadvertent omission.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
I certify that these regulations will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they
affect only Federal agencies and employees.
[[Page 59301]]
List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 532
Administrative practice and procedure, Freedom of information,
Government employees, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Wages.
Office of Personnel Management.
Janice R. Lachance,
Acting Director.
Accordingly, OPM proposes to amend 5 CFR part 532 as follows:
PART 532--PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS
1. The authority citation for part 532 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5343, 5346; Sec. 532.707 also issued under 5
U.S.C. 552.
Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532 [Amended]
2. Appendix C to subpart B is amended by revising the wage area
listings for the Newburgh, New York, and New York, New York, wage area
to read as follows: Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532--Appropriated
Fund Wage and Survey Areas.
* * * * *
New York
* * * * *
Newburgh
Survey Area
New York:
Dutchess
Orange
Ulster
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
New York:
Delaware
Sullivan
New York
Survey Area
New York:
Bronx
Kings
Nassau
New York
Queens
Suffolk
Westchester
New Jersey:
Bergen
Essex
Hudson
Middlesex
Morris
Passaic
Somerset
Union
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
New York:
Putnam
Richmond
Rockland
New Jersey:
Monmouth
Sussex
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 97-28971 Filed 10-31-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-M
