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**OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE**LA 200, John Adams Building, 110 Second              Street, S.E.              Washington, D.C. 20540-1999
___________________________Plumbers Local 5, United  Association of Journeymen  and Apprentices of the Plumbing  and Pipe Fitting Industry of  the United States and Canada            Petitioner,                                                            Case No. 01-LMR-01                     andOffice of the Architect  of the Capitol,           Employing Office___________________________
Before the Board of Directors; Susan S. Robfogel,              Chair; Barbara L. Camens; Alan V. Friedman; Roberta L. Holzwarth;              Barbara Childs Wallace, Members.

DECISION OF THE BOARD OF              DIRECTORS

I. Statement of the Case

This case concerns the negotiability of a proposal              to provide premium pay for holiday work and is before the Board              pursuant to §7105(a)(2)(E) of the Federal Service Labor Management              Relations Statute ("FSLMRS"), 5 U.S.C. §7105(a)(2)(E), as applied              by §220(c)(1) of the Congressional Accountability Act ("CAA"),              2 U.S.C. §1351(c)(1). 

The petitioner Plumbers Local 5, United Association              of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry              of the United States and Canada ("Plumbers Local 5" or "Union")              is the certified representative of a unit of journeyman plumbers              employed in the Construction Management Division of the Office of              the Architect of the Capitol ("Employing Office" or "AOC"). These              employees are employed on an hourly "as-needed" basis for various              construction projects undertaken by the Employing Office. The parties              are negotiating for an initial collective bargaining agreement that              will cover terms and conditions of employment, including pay. 

The Union has submitted a proposal that would              require that covered employees who work on holidays, as designated              by the Architect of the Capitol, be paid at one and one-half times              their wage rate payable under the bargaining agreement. For those              employees who work on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the pay              would be two times their wage rate payable under the bargaining              agreement. The Employing Office contends that this proposal is nonnegotiable.              Contrary to the Employing Office, we conclude that the proposal              is a negotiable subject over which the Employing Office is required              to bargain with the Union. 

II. Proposal In Dispute

"Section 2. All hours worked on holidays, as                designated by the Architect of the Capitol, shall be paid at one                and one-half (1 1/2) times the employee's wage rate otherwise                payable under this Agreement.

"Section 3. All hours worked on Christmas Day                and New Year's Day shall be paid at two (2) times the employee's                wage rate otherwise payable under this Agreement."

III. Initial Positions of the Parties

 A. Employing Office

The Employing Office advances several grounds              for claiming that it is not required to bargain over this proposal.              First, it maintains that the premium pay proposal is inconsistent              with Federal law in two respects and hence is nonnegotiable under              §7117(a) of the FSLMRS, 5 U.S.C. §7117(a), as applied              by §220(c)(1) of the CAA, 2 U.S.C. §1351(c)(1). The Employing              Office argues that the plumbers are paid at prevailing wage rates              established pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act, 40 U.S.C. §276a              et seq., and that such "prevailing wage rate" employees are not              entitled to holiday pay by virtue of the definitional exclusion              in the premium pay statute that allows certain Federal employees              to earn a wage premium for working on Sundays and holidays. See              5 U.S.C. §5541(2)(C)(xi). (1)              The Employing Office argues that payment of a holiday premium to              the plumbers would be "inconsistent" with this exclusion. 

A second "inconsistency" would be created, according              to the AOC, by 31 U.S.C. §3101(a), were it to agree to expend              appropriated funds for holiday premium pay. Under this section,              "appropriations shall be applied only to the objects for which the              appropriations were made except as otherwise provided by law." The              Employing Office theorizes that the exclusion of prevailing wage              employees under 5 U.S.C. §5541(a)(2)(C)(xi) removes holiday              premium pay as a lawful object for which the Employing Office would              be allow to spend appropriated money.

As an alternative prong of attack, the AOC insists              that because the pay for the plumbers here is established through              the prevailing wage rate determinations by the Department of Labor              under the Davis-Bacon Act, (2) the              Employing Office is left with no discretion or control in the setting              of such compensation. According to AOC, under case law interpreting              FSLMRS, matters beyond the control and discretion of an employing              agency are outside the duty to bargain.

 B. Union

Plumbers Local 5 disputes each of the contentions              of the Employing Office.

1. The Davis-Bacon Act does not constrain discretion              of AOC to negotiate holiday premium pay.

Without challenging whether the Davis-Bacon Act              is directly applicable to the unit employees here, the Union asserts              that the Employing Office misinterprets the basic thrust of what              that Act requires. The Union asserts that Davis-Bacon does not lock              in a prevailing wage rate above which a covered construction employer              cannot pay, as the AOC maintains. Davis-Bacon wage determinations              by the Labor Department, says the Union, establish only the *minimum*              wages for construction work on federally funded projects. The Davis-Bacon              Act therefore does not preclude contractors from paying wages that              exceed the prevailing rate. 

2. The proposal is not inconsistent with statutory              law governing premium pay. 

The Union argues that the holiday premium pay              proposal is not inconsistent with the definitional exclusion in              5 U.S.C. §5541(2)(C)(xi). The exclusion of prevailing wage              employees from the premium pay statute should not be construed as              a blanket prohibition against the payment of holiday pay to such              employees. Rather, the effect of the statutory exclusion is to leave              this subject within the realm of "conditions of employment" not              established by Federal law (5 U.S.C. §7103(14)) and therefore              is a matter over which a covered employer is required to bargain.              See, e.g., *AFGE, AFL-CIO, Local 1897, and**Department of              the Air Force, Eglin Air Force Base* (*"Eglin AFB"*), 24              FLRA 377 (1986). The Union adds that the Employing Office's argument              based on a statutory exclusion is at odds with its willingness to              negotiate over employment termination standards notwithstanding              the fact that bargaining unit employees are also excluded from the              definition of "employee" for purposes of the statutory provision              governing certain adverse personnel actions including removal. See              5 U.S.C. §§7511-7514. Finally, the Union cites a decision              of the Comptroller General as authority for the proposition that              an agency may provide prevailing wage rate employees with holiday              premium pay. (3)

3. The proposal is not inconsistent with the              statutory limitation that appropriations may only be expended for              an authorized purpose.

The Union stresses that Congress' appropriations              to the Architect of Capitol for wages is couched as a lump sum amount              for salaries. (4) There is no breakdown              as to specific authorizations for pay for regular hours, overtime              hours, holiday hours, or travel expense reimbursements. Thus, given              the general nature of the appropriations for compensation, payment              for holiday premium work creates no inconsistency in the sense that              it falls outside a purpose "for which an appropriations were made."              31 U.S.C. §1301(a).

IV. Supplemental positions of the parties

Following review of the initial submissions,              the Board requested that the parties file supplemental briefs addressing              the relevance of *U.S. Department of Treasury, Bureau of Engraving              and Printing, and International Association of Machinists, Lodge              2135*("*BEP*"). (5) Although              neither party had cited *BEP*, the Board believes that the              decision is germane to the resolution of the negotiability question.              In that case, the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) sustained              a negotiability appeal involving the duty to bargain under 5 U.S.C.              §7117 within the context of the prevailing wage requirements              under 5 U.S.C. §5349(a). (6)              The latter statutory provision is significant to the instant case              since it applies to recognized trade or craft employees (such as              the plumbers here) who are employed by certain specifically named              Federal employers including the Bureau of Engraving and Printing              and Office of the Architect of the Capitol. Pursuant to §5349(a),              their pay "shall be fixed and adjusted from time to time as nearly              as is consistent with the public interest in accordance with prevailing              rates." The FLRA held that this statutory language vested the Bureau              with a degree of discretion to ascertain the "prevailing rates"              of comparable jobs and make adjustments in "consistent with the              public interest." 

Because there is nothing in the statute to suggest              that this discretion is to be exercised solely or exclusively by              the Bureau, the FLRA concluded that it would not be inconsistent              with law to require bargaining over union proposals concerning the              methodology by which the "prevailing rates" are ascertained. In              view of the fact that AOC is subject to this same pay-fixing provision              as the Bureau, together with the same bargaining obligation under              5 U.S.C. §7117 as applied by the CAA, the question is obviously              presented whether the FLRA's interpretation should inform our decision              here.

 A. Employing Office

AOC largely dismisses *BEP*, contending              that the decision is distinguishable because it involved "different              facts, issue and controlling provisions of law." 

AOC claims that the affected employees in *BEP*              were not paid on the basis of the Davis-Bacon Act, 40 U.S.C. §276a.              AOC further argues that the issue addressed in Bureau is not presented              here. In *BEP*, the question was whether the pay proposal there              was subject to the negotiability exclusion under 5 U.S.C. §7103(a)(14)(C),              which excludes from bargainable "conditions of employment" matters              "to the extent [they] are specifically provided for by Federal statute."              Here, the issue is whether the premium pay proposals are inconsistent              with other provisions of law, more specifically 5 U.S.C. §5541(2)(C)(xi).              Thus, in AOC's view, because the issues and controlling provisions              of law in *BEP* are different from those here, the FLRA decision              is, for the most part, irrelevant. 

If *BEP* has any bearing at all, claims              the AOC, it is to recognize that an agency's discretion to adjust              prevailing wage rates cannot be exercised in such a way to frustrate              a congressional scheme. Here, argues the AOC, the definitional exclusion              of 5 U.S.C. §5541(2)(C)(xi) is evidence of congressional intent              to deny premium holiday pay to the plumbers and 5 U.S.C. §5349              addresses only the basic rate of pay payable to prevailing rate              employees. 

 B. Union

The Union, on the other hand, believes that *BEP*              not only undermines the Employing Office's arguments but also reinforces              its own contention that its holiday premium pay proposal is negotiable.              The decision, in the Union's view, dispels the notion that the wage              determinations of the Department of Labor under the Davis-Bacon              Act have handcuffed the pay-fixing authority of AOC. Rather, the              *BEP* decision confirms the authority of the Architect of the              Capitol, under a plain reading of 5 U.S.C. §5349(a), to fix              and adjust the pay of employees such as the plumbers "consistent              with the public interest in accordance with the prevailing rates              . . . as the pay-fixing authority of each agency may determine."              That statutory authority grants sufficiently broad discretion to              the Architect so that under FLRA precedent the Employing Office              is required to bargain over the exercise of that discretion. 

Thus, while it may be appropriate for the parties              to agree that Davis-Bacon wage determinations may be relied upon              to establish the basic rates of pay, those determinations do not              end the matter. Further negotiations over the subject of holiday              premium pay are warranted because it is in accord with the availability              of such pay to plumbers in the private sector and the Executive              branch of the Federal government and because it would be "consistent              with the public interest" as interpreted by *BEP*.

V. Analysis and Conclusions

 A. The holiday premium pay proposal is              negotiable under the contours established by the applicable statutory              provisions of the FSLMRS and 5 U.S.C. §5349 of the Prevailing              Rate Systems Act governing the Office of the Architect of the Capitol.

We think that the AOC has misapprehended the              statutory foundations of its obligation to bargain over the wages,              including premium pay, of the unit employees here. Contrary to the              AOC's assertions, none of the statutory bases on which it relies              - the Davis-Bacon Act, the definitional exclusion in 5 U.S.C. §5541(2)(C)(xi),              or the appropriations limitation in 31 U.S.C. §1301 - presents              an obstacle to its obligation to bargain over the Union's holiday              premium pay proposal.

Whether or not the Union's holiday premium pay              proposal is negotiable hinges upon the interplay between the AOC's              general bargaining obligation under the FSLMRS, as applied by the              CAA, and its specific obligation under the Prevailing Rate Systems              Act. 5 U.S.C. §5349. Under the FSLMRS, as applied by the CAA,              the Employing Office is under a duty to negotiate in good faith              with the representative chosen by covered employees. 5 U.S.C. §7114(a)(4).              The scope of the bargaining obligation is defined in 5 U.S.C. §7102,              which confers upon such covered employees the right through their              representative "to engage in collective bargaining with respect              to conditions of employment." In turn, "conditions of employment"              are defined in 5 U.S.C. §7103(a)(14)(A)-(C) to mean in relevant              part "personnel policies, practices, and matters, whether established              by rule, regulation, or otherwise, affecting working conditions"              with exceptions made for matters that are "specifically provided              for by Federal statute" and for matters relating to certain political              activities or the classification of a job position.              (7) Also excepted from the bargaining obligation are matters              that concern conditions of employment, but are inconsistent with              law or regulation (hereinafter referred to as the "inconsistent              with law" exception). 5 U.S.C. §7117(a). See *Patent Office              Professional Association and U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Patent and              Trademark Office,*53 FLRA 625, 647-50 (1997). These exceptions              to the duty to bargain reflect the fact that in establishing a collective              bargaining regime for the benefit of the Federal workforce, Congress              did not want bargaining to displace or disturb a law or regulation              that either substantively determines a condition of employment or              establishes an exclusive process for fixing a condition of employment.              Thus, the task of evaluating the negotiability of a bargaining proposal              must begin with a determination whether the proposal involves a              condition of employment, followed by the analysis whether a specific              law or regulation has effectively taken the subject "off the table."

Pay is a quintessential condition of employment              that is subject to bargaining under the FSLMRS, as the Supreme Court              has so affirmed in *Fort Stewart Schools v. FLRA*, 495 U.S.              641 (1990). However, a pay proposal will be found nonnegotiable              if it falls within one of the above statutory exceptions, which              is often found to be the case because the subject of pay and benefits              is so widely settled by federal law. (8)              If a pay proposal involves a matter for which a governing statute              leaves *no* discretion to an employing agency, the matter is              deemed "specifically provided for by Federal statute" and therefore              is excepted from bargaining. *BEP*, 50 FLRA at 682*.*              Similarly, if a governing statute vests an employing agency with              *sole*and*exclusive* discretion over a matter, a proposal              that subjects the exercise of that discretion to collective bargaining              would be "inconsistent with law." *AFGE, Local 3295, and Dept.              of Treasury, Office of Thrift Supervision*, 47 FLRA 884, 894              (1993)*.* Where a proposal implicates a pay-specific statute              or regulation, a careful examination of the structure, purpose and              operation of the statute or regulation in question is typically              required.

In the instant case, the relevant pay-specific              statute is the Prevailing Rate Systems Act (PRSA).              (9) Congress enacted this law in order to revise and codify              the compensation system for tradesmen and skilled craftsmen who              work for the Federal government but whose positions are not part              of the General Schedule of classified positions, 5 U.S.C. §§              5102(c)(7), 5104, and whose pay is not fixed pursuant to the General              Schedule pay rates. 5 U.S.C. §5332. A fundamental objective              was to assure that such employees are paid at "prevailing rates"              so as to maintain "reasonable parity between public and private              employees and to protect blue collar workers' salaries from mere              administrative whim and convenience." *National Maritime Union              of America v. United States*, 682 F.2d 944, 954 (Ct. Cl. 1982).              To that end, the PRSA contains detailed provisions for calculating              and adjusting the prevailing rates of pay for these blue collar              workers, mostly employed in the Executive branch, and commits to              the Office of Personnel Management the responsibility of administration.              Generally the calculation is made through a survey mechanism that              examines the wages paid to comparable jobs in a particular geographic              locale.

With respect to the Office of the Architect of              the Capitol and other specific agencies of the Legislative and Judicial              branches (as well as the Bureau of Engraving and Printing), Congress              adopted a modified approach. Because such agencies had preexisting              practices for paying their trades and skilled craft workers at prevailing              rates, which practices Congress desired not to disturb, it authorized              their continuation without mandating that these agencies be subject              to the detailed provisions of the PRSA dealing with, among other              things, pay-fixing procedures, retroactive pay, and job grading              and retention. 

The applicable section, 5 USC 5349, thus only              requires these agencies to fix and adjust pay "from time to time              as nearly as is consistent with the public interest in accordance              with prevailing rates and in accordance with the such [other] provisions              of the [PRSA] . . . as the pay-fixing authority of each such agency              may determine." Three elements are identifiable in this provision.              The prevailing rate element aims to pay covered employees wages              that are comparable with fellow craft or trades workers in the private              sector. The "public interest" element, which is not specifically              defined in the statute, serves as a counterbalance to this objective,              justifying wage rates below the prevailing rates if warranted, for              example, by fiscal considerations (such as the imposition of a temporary              wage cap). (10) Finally, the agencies              covered under §5349 are given the discretion to apply the other              sections of the PRSA. (11)

The FLRA's decision in *BEP* carefully examined              the implications of 5 U.S.C. §5349 on the Bureau of Engraving              and Printing's duty to bargain over a pay proposal concerning the              methodology for determining prevailing rates for steel and die craft              workers. As noted above, the Authority, drawing upon judicial interpretation,              held that this statute vested the covered employing offices with              broad discretion: These agencies could decide the process by which              the prevailing rates were ascertained and then could make adjustments              "consistent with the public interest." Furthermore, the Authority              found nothing in this statutory formulation suggesting that the              exercise of discretion under these two elements was committed solely              and exclusively to the employing office; hence it would not be "inconsistent              with law" under the FSLMRS to subject the exercise of that manifold              discretion to collective bargaining. 

The Plumbers Local 5 argues that the AOC would              be acting well within the range of its discretion to pay a holiday              premium wage to its unit employees. The Union alleges that the parties              did agree in negotiations to utilize the wage determinations of              the Department of Labor under the Davis-Bacon Act to calculate the              *basic* rate of pay of unit employees. Adding a holiday premium              pay component, it urges, would be "consistent with the public interest"              and "in accordance with the prevailing rates" embodied in the practice              of private employers, as well as other governmental agencies, to              pay a holiday premium. (12)

AOC does acknowledge the relevance of 5 U.S.C.              §5349 in its Supplemental Brief but insists that it does no              more than address *basic* rates of pay payable to prevailing              rate employees. The implication is that because the section does              not authorize holiday premium pay, the AOC is without power to agree              to such pay. 

We do not agree with this implication. The term              "pay" in §5349 is not modified by any qualifying adjective              that would limit it to basic pay. (13)              Moreover, in issuing substantive regulations under a related section              of the PRSA covering most other prevailing wage employees, 5 U.S.C.              §5343, the Office of Personnel Management has interpreted the              concept of pay for purposes of prevailing wage employees to encompass              holiday premium pay. 5 C.F.R. §532.507. Given the use of similar              terms in comparable sections of the PRSA, it is appropriate to interpret              the term "pay" in §5349 to include holiday premium pay. See              *Gustafson v. Alloyd Co.*, 513 U.S. 561, 570 (1995).

AOC's attempt to limit the thrust of *BEP*              is likewise unpersuasive. Although the exact proposal in *BEP*              involved the methodology for surveying prevailing rates, whereas              the proposal here would both add the holiday premium to the compensation              package and fix the premium rate, the *BEP*****opinion              clearly confirms the broad discretion of AOC to fix pay under the              elements articulated in §5349. Thus, the exercise of that discretion              may be committed to the collective bargaining process. The AOC has              not demonstrated how negotiations with the Union over holiday premium              pay would run afoul of these elements. It has not shown that the              parties are precluded from considering the prevalence of the holiday              premium pay rate in the relevant geographic locale. Nor has it been              shown such negotiations would foreclose consideration of the "public              interest" element of the statutory equation.              (14)

In sum, we conclude that the Union's pay proposal              involves a bargainable condition of employment within the contours              established by 5 U.S.C. §5349. As we explain next, the various              grounds upon which the AOC attempts to invoke the "inconsistent              with law" exception to negotiability under 5 U.S.C. §7117 are              without merit.

 B. While the Davis-Bacon Act may serve              as a basis on which the prevailing rate of basic pay is initially              calculated, it does not limit the authority and discretion of the              AOC under the FSLMRS and under 5 USC §5349(a) to negotiate              holiday premium pay. 

The AOC's argument that the holiday premium pay              proposal is inconsistent with the Davis-Bacon Act is flawed in several              respects. First, the Davis-Bacon Act does not directly apply to              the Employing Office, as AOC seems to imply. The Act only covers              private contractors and subcontractors who contract (for over $2,000)              with the Federal government to perform construction, alterations,              or repair of public buildings or public works. 40 U.S.C. §276a.              It may be true that the AOC is engaged in construction work that              is similar to the work performed by private contractors who are              subject to Davis-Bacon. However, the mere performance of construction              work without more is insufficient to make AOC subject to the Davis-Bacon              Act. Furthermore, the AOC points to no other federal statute which              would mandate that it adhere to the wage determinations made by              the Department of Labor under Davis-Bacon. 

To be sure, AOC may decide that its duty to pay              prevailing wages under 5 U.S.C. §5349 can be appropriately              satisfied by use of the wage determinations made by the Department              of Labor under the Davis-Bacon Act. And the Union has indicated              that the parties in fact have agreed to abide by the Labor Department's              determination of the basic rate of pay for plumbers in the relevant              locale. This fact, in itself, buttresses our conclusion that the              AOC does negotiate over wage rates. Still, AOC seems to be arguing              that by agreeing to abide by Davis-Bacon wage determinations of              the Labor Department, it is somehow foreclosed from negotiating              other components of pay independent of Davis-Bacon. This is erroneous.              The parties remain free, for example, to single out the issue of              holiday premium pay and negotiate over it within the parameters              established by 5 U.S.C. §5349(a). In short, Davis-Bacon is              not a straitjacket the precludes any bargaining over holiday premium              pay. 

 C. The definitional exclusion in 5 U.S.C.              §5541(2)(C)(xi) is not a prohibition on prevailing wage employees              receiving holiday pay and therefore creates no inconsistency with              law.

The Employing Office contends that affording              prevailing rate employees holiday premium pay would be inconsistent              with the provisions of law governing premium pay for the federal              workforce. 5 U.S.C. §§5541-50a ("Subchapter V"). Specifically,              AOC cites the definitional exclusion of prevailing rate employees              from Subchapter V, 5 U.S.C. §§5541(2)(C)(xi), as indicative              of congressional intent to deny premium pay to such workers. However,              AOC has pointed to no authoritative interpretation sustaining that              view. As the Union correctly maintains, the definitional exclusion              is not a prohibition but may be simply interpreted as a legislative              decision generally not to subject prevailing rate employees to the              particular statutory rules of Subchapter V. The effect of this exclusion              is to leave the matter open for negotiation within the parameters              discussed in the prior section on 5 U.S.C. §5349(a). Cf. *NAGE,              Local R5-82 and Dept. of Navy, Navy Exchange*, 43 FLRA 25, 44-45              (1991). In short, the Employing Office has simply turned the significance              of the exclusion on its head.

 D. The limitation contained in 31 U.S.C.              §3101 that appropriated funds may only be used for purposes              for which they were appropriated does not restrict payments for              holiday premium pay.

The AOC interposes 31 U.S.C. §3101 as an              alternative basis for holding the holiday premium pay proposal inconsistent              with law; expending funds to cover holiday premium pay would supposedly              be for a purpose not authorized by appropriations made to the Office              of the Architect of the Capitol. However, this argument necessarily              assumes the correctness of its above contention that holiday premium              pay for prevailing rate employees is not lawfully permitted by virtue              of the definitional exclusion in 5 U.S.C. §5541(2)(C)(xi).              Because we have concluded that this assumption is erroneous, we              likewise cannot sustain AOC's argument based on 31 U.S.C. §3101.              As the Union has pointed out, the limitation in §3101 should              pose no obstacle to the negotiability of the proposal here, since              the relevant appropriations legislation funding the AOC's operations              has authorized spending for matters falling within the broadly worded              purpose of "Salaries and Expenses." (15)              Premium pay unquestionably comes within that purpose.

V. Order

The Employing Office shall, upon request, or              as otherwise agreed to by the parties, bargain on the proposal concerning              holiday premium pay. (16)

Issued, Washington, D.C., December 3, 2001.

1 The exclusion,              in the form of a definition for purposes of the subchapter on premium              pay, reads in pertinent part: "'employee' . . . does not include              . . . an employee whose pay is fixed and adjusted from time to time              in accordance with prevailing rates under subchapter IV of chapter              53 of this title [5 U.S.C. §§5341-49] . . . ."            
2 See 40 U.S.C.              §276a.            
3 25 Comp. Gen.              584 (1946). In light of the reasons which the Board finds as supportive              of negotiability, there is no need to rely upon this decision.            
4 The Union cites              as an example the appropriations for the Architect of the Capitol              for fiscal year 2001, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001,              P.L. 106-554, 114 Stat. 2763A-108, *printed in,*146 Cong. Rec.              H12222 (daily ed. Dec. 15, 2000)(H. Rept. 106-1033)(Petitioner's              Exh. E, in June 12, 2001 Reply Statement).            
5 50 FLRA 677 (1995),              *enf'd*, 88 F.3d 1279 (DC Cir. 1996)(Table), 1996 WL 311465              (unpublished opinion).            
6 This section              is part of the Prevailing Rate Systems Act, P.L. 92-392, 86 Stat.              564 (codified in 5 U.S.C. §§5341-49), which Congress enacted              in 1972. For further discussion of this law, see text accompanying              note 9, *infra*.            
7 In its Supplemental              Brief, the AOC claims that §7103 is not applicable. It is true              that §7103 is not expressly mentioned in §220 of the CAA,              which makes the rights, protections, and responsibilities established              under various specified sections of the FSLMRS applicable to the              legislative branch. However, AOC's assertion is simply wrong. Being              a definitional section, §7103 is made applicable by virtue              of §225(f)(1) of the CAA, 2 U.S.C. §1361, which states              that "[e]xcept where inconsistent with definitions and exemptions              provided in [the CAA], the *definitions* and exemptions in              the laws made applicable by [the CAA] shall apply under [the CAA]"              (emphasis added).            
8 See *Eglin AFB*,              24 FLRA at 378.            
9 5 U.S.C. §5341              et seq.            
10 See *Henderson              v. United States*, 17 Cl.Ct. 180, 182-183 (1989) and cases cited              therein.            
11 Neither party              has specifically addressed the relevance of this third element.              Therefore, we have no occasion to address its implications except              to note that it does not appear on its face to create a bar to bargaining              over holiday premium pay.            
12 The Union cites,              as an example of the governmental practice, the regulation of the              Office of Personnel Management providing a premium pay rate (double              the basic pay) for prevailing rate employees of the Executive branch              who are entitled to holiday premium pay. 5 C.F.R. §532.507(a)              (2001), promulgated under 5 U.S.C. § 5343, of the PRSA. It              further cites, as an example from the private sector, a provision              from a contract which Local 5 has with a local contractor that sets              holiday pay at double the base rate of pay. (Reply Brief, Exh. F).            
13 See *Lanehart              v. Horner*, 818 F.2d 1574, 1581 (Fed. Cir. 1987)("Congress has              used more limited terms, rather than the generic term 'pay,' when              it intended to refer to specific types of pay."). Compare 5 U.S.C.              §5343(f), which is part of the PRSA and declares night differential              pay rates as "part of *basic* pay" (emphasis added). See also              5 U.S.C. §276a(b)(1) of the Davis-Bacon Act which defined "wages"              and its variations to include "basic hourly rate of pay."            
14 See *NTEU              Chapter 83 and Dept. of Treasury*, 35 FLRA 398, 414-16 (1990)(finding              of negotiability does not mean that union secures its proposal in              a contract or that it must be implemented; agency may, in keeping              with what it conceives to be in its best interests, still reject              or seek to modify proposal during ensuing bargaining as long as              it continues to negotiate in good faith).            
15 See note 4              *supra* and accompanying text.            
16 In finding              the proposal to be negotiable, we make no judgment as to its merits.            
 

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