[Federal Register: April 26, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 79)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 20221]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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: Proposed rule with request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed rule
that would change the Helper (Trades) WG-5 appropriated fund Federal
Wage System 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 Federal Wage
System survey jobs more useful survey tools for local wage surveys.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 26, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Donald J. Winstead, Assistant
Director for Compensation Administration, Workforce Compensation and
Performance Service, Office of Personnel Management, Room 7H31, 1900 E
Street NW., Washington, DC 20415, or FAX: (202) 606-4264.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is
engaged in an ongoing project to review the survey job descriptions
used by Federal agencies during Federal Wage System (FWS) local wage
surveys to determine prevailing rates of pay for FWS employees. The FWS
is the pay system for the Federal Government's blue-collar workforce.
    As a result of this review, OPM proposes to change the Helper
(Trades) WG-5 appropriated fund FWS survey job from required to
optional. 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, OPM
proposes that its use become optional rather than required. In
addition, OPM proposes that the word ``Heavy'' be added to the title of
the Janitor WG-2 appropriated fund FWS survey job and that the
Warehouseman WG-5 survey job title be changed to Warehouse Worker WG-5.
These changes would better distinguish the Janitor WG-2 survey job from
the Janitor (Light) WG-1 survey job and modernize the Warehouseman WG-5
survey job title. Finally, OPM proposes that the Boiler Plant Operator
WG-9 survey job be removed from the list of optional survey jobs. The
Boiler Plant Operator WG-10 survey job would remain an optional survey
job. This change is proposed because only 0.5 percent of FWS employment
in WG-9 positions is represented by this survey job and because
matching private sector jobs only at the WG-10 journey level would 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.

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 would not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they
would 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 proposing 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.

Sec. 532.217  [Amended]

    2. In Section 532.217, 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 in grade order to paragraph (c), and amending paragraph (c) by
removing the job title ``Boiler Plant Operator'' and job grade ``9''.

[FR Doc. 99-10401 Filed 4-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-P