[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]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 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: [email protected].

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