Evening star., 1954-11-17
Commission Insirucis
Agencies Handling
Fringe Benefits Law

Federal agencies today had
before them detailed instructions
from the Civil Service Commits
sion on how to administer bene-
fits Of the new Fringe Benefits
Law. affecting about $4,000
Federal workers.
The employees involved are In
the trades, crafts. manual labor,
guard, messenger and fire.
fighter groups in the now ahol-
ished crafts. protective and Gus
todial schedule.
The csc has issued d depart
mental circular explaining how
to handle each type of worker.
DeadIines Specific.
The circular explains the
headlines for action are March,
1855, In some cases and Septela-
ber, 1855. in others.
The commission outlined the
procedure as follows:
approximately $4,000 trades,
crafts and manual. labor CPC
ernploye called blue collar
workers-now win be put on an
equality with other blue-collar
workers outside CPC whose rates
OF pay are in line with the pre-.
vailing wages of the locality in
which they. are working. They
cannot be paid less than their
present wages. In many in
stances, they win receive small
wage increases to bring their
wages up to the prevailing local
wage level.
Approximately 1900 guards,
messengers and fire fighters
hitherto under CPCemployed
for the most part in the Depart
ment Of Defense and the Gem
eral Services Administration
will be placed under the general
schedule. These employees, also,
are protected by the provision
that they cannot be paid less
than they have been receiving.
In many instances, minor pay
adjustments will be made.
General Schedule Wages.
Biggest practical difference
Is that guards. messengers and
fire fighters will not receive pre-
vailing wages but the wages pro-
vided In the general schedule.
In the blue-collar claSsifica-
tions now granted the prevailing
wage rate for the first time, the
commission further sets UP pro-
cedures for payment under the
Classification Act where the
number Of positions in a To-
cality are so few that it is i'm
practicable to determine the
prevailing wage.
In such cases, the agency
must make q formal determine
ton that it is impracticable to
determine the prevailing wage.
The central Office of the COM
mission in Washington must
then be asked to concur. If it
does so, no prevailing wage de-
termination will be made unless
1t is found officially that it is
practicable to do so. If and when
this further decision is reached,
the agency may then establish
the prevailing rate pay sched-
ule for the particular type Of
job involved.
No Reduction Allowed.
Each head of an agency is
required to apply prevailing
rates to positions in his depart
ment which are excluded from
the Classification Act. He is to
do this not earlier than the first
day of the second pay period
which begins after September
/, 1854, and not later than the
first day of the first pay period
which begins after September /,
1855.
"The pay Of employees changed
from Classification Act pay rates
to prevailing-rate system will
be fixed initially in the man
ner prescribed by the head of
the department concerned. This
change may not, however, serve
to decrease the existing rate Of
basic compensation of any pres
ent employe. Subsequent ap-
pointees to affected positions
will be paid In accordance with
the applicable scale.
"Action by agencies in deal
ing with the $4,000 messengers,
guards and fire fighters, must be
taken not later than the first
day of the first pay period which
-