[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 4, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27995-27996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13840]
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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
5 CFR Part 532
RIN 3206-AH41
Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of Oneida, NY,
Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Interim rule with request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing an interim
rule to abolish the Oneida, NY, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage
System (FWS) wage area and to establish a new Jefferson, NY, NAF wage
area with a survey area consisting of Jefferson County--currently an
unsurveyed county in the Oneida wage area. The Oneida wage area is
presently composed of one survey area county (Oneida) and nine area of
application counties (Albany, Clinton, Jefferson, Onondaga, Ontario,
Schenectady, Saratoga, Seneca, and Steuben). After this change, a new
wage area, Jefferson, NY, will include seven of these counties, with
Jefferson designated as the survey area and Albany, Oneida, Onondaga,
Ontario, Schenectady, and Steuben designated as areas of application.
Clinton, Saratoga, and Seneca, which have no FWS employees, will be
deleted.
DATES: This interim rule becomes effective on June 6, 1996. Comments
must be received by July 5, 1996. Employees currently paid rates from
the Oneida, NY, NAF wage schedule will continue to be paid from that
schedule until their conversion to the Jefferson, NY, NAF wage schedule
on May 16, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Donald J. Winstead, Assistant
Director for Compensation Policy, Human Resources Systems Service,
Office of Personnel Management, Room 6H31, 1900 E Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20415, or FAX: (202) 606-2394.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Shields, (202) 606-2848.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Because the closing of the Oneida, NY,
nonappropriated fund (NAF) wage area host activity, Griffiss Air Force
Base, left Oneida County without an activity having the capability to
conduct a wage survey, the Department of Defense requested that the
Oneida wage area be abolished and that a new Jefferson, NY, NAF wage
area be established with a survey area consisting of Jefferson County--
currently an unsurveyed county in the Oneida wage area. The Oneida wage
area is presently composed of one survey area county (Oneida) and nine
area of application counties (Albany, Clinton, Jefferson, Onondaga,
Ontario, Schenectady, Saratoga, Seneca, and Steuben).
The new wage area being established by this interim rule,
Jefferson, NY, will include seven of these counties, with Jefferson
designated as the survey area and Albany, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario,
Schenectady, and Steuben
[[Page 27996]]
designated as areas of application. Jefferson County meets the minimum
requirements to be the survey area. Fort Drum, located in Jefferson
County, has 181 NAF Federal Wage System employees and has the
capability to conduct the survey. Jefferson County also meets the other
regulatory requirement of a minimum of 1,800 private enterprise
employees in establishments within survey specifications (with
approximately 16,970 such employees). Clinton, Saratoga, and Seneca,
which have no FWS employees, will be deleted.
As required in regulation, 5 CFR 532.219, the following criteria
were considered in redefining these wage areas:
(1) Proximity of largest activity in each county;
(2) Transportation facilities and commuting patterns; and
(3) Similarities of the counties in:
(i) Overall population;
(ii) Private employment in major industry categories; and
(iii) Kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments.
The criteria strongly favor redefinition to the proposed Jefferson
survey area for the closest two counties to be redefined, Oneida and
Onondaga. For the four more distant counties to the southwest (Ontario
and Steuben) and to the southeast (Schenectady and Albany), the
regulatory criteria are mixed, with Jefferson first-ranked on either
the transportation and commuting patterns criterion or the similarities
in population and private industry criterion. Although consideration
was given to the possible redefinition of these four counties to the
closer Niagara, New York, or Hampden, Massachusetts, areas, the mixed
nature of these findings supports this redefinition. Other relevant
factors weighed include the continuity of the historical composition of
the old wage area and a natural affinity of these New York counties
having continuing NAF employment. The willingness of DOD and its wage
committee to establish a new wage area and conduct a new survey
furthers the concepts of wage rates based on prevailing local rates and
of effective partnership in this period of wage area realignments as
base closures shrink the NAF workforce.
The full-scale surveys will continue to be ordered in March of even
numbered fiscal years--e.g., in March 1996. The Federal Prevailing Rate
Advisory Committee reviewed this recommendation and by consensus
recommended approval.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), I find that good cause exists
for waiving the general notice of proposed rulemaking. Also, pursuant
to section 553(d)(3) of title 5, United States Code, I find that good
cause exists for making this rule effective in less than 30 days. The
notice is being waived and the regulation is being made effective in
less than 30 days because preparations for the 1996 Jefferson, NY, NAF
wage area survey must begin immediately.
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.
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.
Lorraine A. Green,
Deputy Director.
Accordingly, OPM is amending 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 B to Subpart B of Part 532 [Amended]
2. In appendix B to subpart B, the listing for the State of New
York is amended by removing the entry for Oneida and adding in
alphabetical order a new entry of Jefferson with a beginning month of
survey of ``March'' and a fiscal year of full-scale survey of ``Even.''
3. Appendix D to subpart B is amended by removing the wage area
list for Oneida, New York, and by adding in alphabetical order a new
list for Jefferson, New York, to read as follows:
Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 532--Nonappropriated Fund Wage and
Survey Areas
* * * * *
New York
* * * * *
Jefferson Survey Area
New York
Jefferson
Area of Application. Survey Area Plus
New York
Albany
Oneida
Onondaga
Ontario
Schenectady
Steuben
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-13840 Filed 6-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-M
