[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 4, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27995-27996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13840]



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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AH41


Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of Oneida, NY, 
Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Interim rule with request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing an interim 
rule to abolish the Oneida, NY, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage 
System (FWS) wage area and to establish a new Jefferson, NY, NAF wage 
area with a survey area consisting of Jefferson County--currently an 
unsurveyed county in the Oneida wage area. The Oneida wage area is 
presently composed of one survey area county (Oneida) and nine area of 
application counties (Albany, Clinton, Jefferson, Onondaga, Ontario, 
Schenectady, Saratoga, Seneca, and Steuben). After this change, a new 
wage area, Jefferson, NY, will include seven of these counties, with 
Jefferson designated as the survey area and Albany, Oneida, Onondaga, 
Ontario, Schenectady, and Steuben designated as areas of application. 
Clinton, Saratoga, and Seneca, which have no FWS employees, will be 
deleted.

DATES: This interim rule becomes effective on June 6, 1996. Comments 
must be received by July 5, 1996. Employees currently paid rates from 
the Oneida, NY, NAF wage schedule will continue to be paid from that 
schedule until their conversion to the Jefferson, NY, NAF wage schedule 
on May 16, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Donald J. Winstead, Assistant 
Director for Compensation Policy, Human Resources Systems Service, 
Office of Personnel Management, Room 6H31, 1900 E Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20415, or FAX: (202) 606-2394.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Shields, (202) 606-2848.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Because the closing of the Oneida, NY, 
nonappropriated fund (NAF) wage area host activity, Griffiss Air Force 
Base, left Oneida County without an activity having the capability to 
conduct a wage survey, the Department of Defense requested that the 
Oneida wage area be abolished and that a new Jefferson, NY, NAF wage 
area be established with a survey area consisting of Jefferson County--
currently an unsurveyed county in the Oneida wage area. The Oneida wage 
area is presently composed of one survey area county (Oneida) and nine 
area of application counties (Albany, Clinton, Jefferson, Onondaga, 
Ontario, Schenectady, Saratoga, Seneca, and Steuben).
    The new wage area being established by this interim rule, 
Jefferson, NY, will include seven of these counties, with Jefferson 
designated as the survey area and Albany, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, 
Schenectady, and Steuben

[[Page 27996]]

designated as areas of application. Jefferson County meets the minimum 
requirements to be the survey area. Fort Drum, located in Jefferson 
County, has 181 NAF Federal Wage System employees and has the 
capability to conduct the survey. Jefferson County also meets the other 
regulatory requirement of a minimum of 1,800 private enterprise 
employees in establishments within survey specifications (with 
approximately 16,970 such employees). Clinton, Saratoga, and Seneca, 
which have no FWS employees, will be deleted.
    As required in regulation, 5 CFR 532.219, the following criteria 
were considered in redefining these wage areas:
    (1) Proximity of largest activity in each county;
    (2) Transportation facilities and commuting patterns; and
    (3) Similarities of the counties in:
    (i) Overall population;
    (ii) Private employment in major industry categories; and
    (iii) Kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments.
    The criteria strongly favor redefinition to the proposed Jefferson 
survey area for the closest two counties to be redefined, Oneida and 
Onondaga. For the four more distant counties to the southwest (Ontario 
and Steuben) and to the southeast (Schenectady and Albany), the 
regulatory criteria are mixed, with Jefferson first-ranked on either 
the transportation and commuting patterns criterion or the similarities 
in population and private industry criterion. Although consideration 
was given to the possible redefinition of these four counties to the 
closer Niagara, New York, or Hampden, Massachusetts, areas, the mixed 
nature of these findings supports this redefinition. Other relevant 
factors weighed include the continuity of the historical composition of 
the old wage area and a natural affinity of these New York counties 
having continuing NAF employment. The willingness of DOD and its wage 
committee to establish a new wage area and conduct a new survey 
furthers the concepts of wage rates based on prevailing local rates and 
of effective partnership in this period of wage area realignments as 
base closures shrink the NAF workforce.
    The full-scale surveys will continue to be ordered in March of even 
numbered fiscal years--e.g., in March 1996. The Federal Prevailing Rate 
Advisory Committee reviewed this recommendation and by consensus 
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 1996 Jefferson, NY, NAF 
wage area 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 
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; Sec. 532.707 also issued under 5 
U.S.C. 552.

Appendix B to Subpart B of Part 532  [Amended]

    2. In appendix B to subpart B, the listing for the State of New 
York is amended by removing the entry for Oneida and adding in 
alphabetical order a new entry of Jefferson with a beginning month of 
survey of ``March'' and a fiscal year of full-scale survey of ``Even.''
    3. Appendix D to subpart B is amended by removing the wage area 
list for Oneida, New York, and by adding in alphabetical order a new 
list for Jefferson, New York, to read as follows:

Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 532--Nonappropriated Fund Wage and 
Survey Areas

* * * * *
New York
* * * * *
Jefferson Survey Area
New York
    Jefferson
Area of Application. Survey Area Plus
New York
    Albany
    Oneida
    Onondaga
    Ontario
    Schenectady
    Steuben
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-13840 Filed 6-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-M