Pay administration: Prevailing rate systems,

[Federal Register: December 10, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 237)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 69183]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr10de99-2]

[[Page 69183]]

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AH81

Prevailing Rate Systems; Changes in Federal Wage System Survey Jobs

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is issuing a final rule that will change the Helper (Trades) WG-5 appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) survey job from required to optional, add the word ``Heavy'' to the name of the Janitor WG-2 FWS survey job, change the title of the Warehouseman WG-5 survey job to Warehouse Worker WG-5, and remove the Boiler Plant Operator WG-9 survey job from the list of optional survey jobs. These changes are being made to make FWS survey jobs more useful survey tools for local wage surveys.

DATES: This regulation is effective on January 10, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark A. Allen, (202) 606-2848, FAX: (202) 606-0824, or email to maallen@opm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 26, 1999, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a proposed rule (64 FR 20221) to make changes in four Federal Wage System (FWS) survey jobs. The FWS is the pay system for the Federal Government's blue-collar workforce. OPM is engaged in an ongoing project to review the survey job descriptions used by Federal agencies during FWS local wage surveys to determine prevailing rates of pay for FWS employees.

In the past, the Helper (Trades) WG-5 survey job has produced adequate data for use in calculating FWS pay rates in only about one- quarter of the appropriated fund FWS wage areas. Because of this, we are making its use optional rather than required. Also, we are adding the word ``Heavy'' to the title of the Janitor WG-2 appropriated fund FWS survey job. This will better distinguish the Janitor WG-2 survey job from the Janitor (Light) WG-1 survey job. The Warehouseman WG-5 survey job title is changing to Warehouse Worker WG-5 to modernize the Warehouseman WG-5 survey job title.

Finally, we are removing the Boiler Plant Operator WG-9 survey job from the list of optional survey jobs. The Boiler Plant Operator WG-10 survey job will remain an optional survey job. This change is being made because only 0.5 percent of FWS employment in WG-9 positions is represented by this survey job, and matching private sector jobs only at the WG-10 journey level will be more consistent with the other survey jobs used in FWS wage surveys.

The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the national labor- management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning the pay of FWS employees, has reviewed and concurred by consensus with these changes. The proposed rule provided a 30-day public comment period. We received no comments during this period.

E.O. 12866, Regulatory Review

This rule has been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget in accordance with E.O. 12866.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

I certify that these regulations will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they will 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.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Janice R. Lachance, Director.

Accordingly, the Office of Personnel Management 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.

   Sec. 532.217 [Amended]

2. In Sec. 532.217, the table in paragraph (a) is amended by adding the word ``(Heavy)'' after the Job title ``Janitor'', by removing the Job title Warehouseman and replacing it with ``Warehouse Worker'', by removing the Job title and Job grade for ``Helper (Trades)'' and adding it to the table in paragraph (c) after ``Light Vehicle Operator'' and the table in paragraph (c) is also amended by removing the Job title ``Boiler Plant Operator'' and Job grade ``9''.

   [FR Doc. 99-32067Filed12-9-99; 8:45 am]

   BILLING CODE 6325-01-P