This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains regulatory documents having general

applicability and legal effect, most of which

are keyed to and codified in the Code of

Federal Regulations, which is published under

50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by

the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of

new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

26341

Vol. 60, No. 95

Wednesday, May 17, 1995

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206–AG76

Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment

of Atlanta, Georgia, Special Wage

Schedules for Printing Positions

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management.

ACTION: Interim rule with request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel

Management is issuing interim

regulations to abolish the Federal Wage

System special wage schedule for

printing positions in the Atlanta,

Georgia, wage area. Printing and

lithographic employees in Atlanta will

now be paid rates from the regular

Atlanta, Georgia, wage schedule.

DATES: This interim rule becomes

effective on May 17, 1995. Comments

must be received by June 16, 1995.

Employees paid rates from the Atlanta,

Georgia, special wage schedule for

printing positions will continue to be

paid rates from that schedule until their

conversion to the regular Atlanta,

Georgia, wage schedule on July 9, 1995,

the effective date of the new Atlanta,

Georgia, regular wage schedule.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments

to Donald J. Winstead, Acting Assistant

Director for Compensation Policy,

Human Resources Systems Service, U.S.

Office of Personnel Management, Room

6H31, 1900 E Street NW., Washington,

DC 20415.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Shields, (202) 606–2848.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Department of Defense recommended to

the Office of Personnel Management

that the Atlanta, Georgia, Printing and

Lithographic wage schedule be

abolished and that the regular Atlanta,

Georgia, wage schedule apply to

printing employees in the Atlanta,

Georgia, wage area. This

recommendation was based on the fact

that the number of employees paid from

this special schedule has declined in

recent years from a total of 38

employees in 1993 to a current total of

25 employees, only 6 of whom are in

grade levels benefiting from the special

survey. The Atlanta, Georgia, special

printing wage survey would produce

special schedule rates lower than the

regular area wage schedule rates for all

but 6 of the 25 employees covered by

the special printing schedule. Because

regulations provide that the special

printing schedule rates may not be

lower than the regular schedule rates for

an area, Atlanta, Georgia, special

printing schedule rates for the first eight

grades are currently based on the

Atlanta, Georgia, regular wage schedule

rates.

In addition with the reduced number

of employees, it has been difficult to

comply with the requirement that

workers paid from the special printing

schedule participate in the special wage

survey process. The last full-scale

survey involved the substantial work

effort of contacting 65 printing

establishments spread over 15 counties

in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Upon abolishment of the Atlanta

special printing schedule, the printing

and lithographic employees will be

converted to the regular schedule on a

grade-for-grade basis. Their new rate of

pay will be set at the rate for the step

of the applicable grade of the regular

schedule that equals the employees’

existing scheduled rate of pay. When

the existing rate falls between two steps,

the employees’s new rate will be set at

the rate for the higher of those two

steps. This conversion does not

constitute an equivalent increase for

within-grade increase purposes. In

accordance with the OPM Operating

Manual, The Guide to Processing

Personnel Actions, this pay plan change

will be processed as a ‘‘Pay

Adjustment,’’ Nature of Action Code

894, authority code ZLM, citing this

Federal Register notice as authority. Pay

retention provisions will apply for the

few employees not receiving increases

upon conversion.

The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory

Committee has reviewed this

recommendation and by consensus has

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 May 1995 Atlanta, Georgia, 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 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.

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; § 532.707

also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552.

§ 532.279 [Amended]

2. In § 532.279, paragraph (j)(5) is

removed, and paragraphs (j)(6) through

(j)(9) are redesignated as paragraphs

(j)(5) through (j)(8), respectively.

[FR Doc. 95–12033 Filed 5–16–95; 8:45 am]

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