[Federal Register: December 24, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 247)] [Rules and Regulations] [Page 67257-67258] ================================================================= Rules and Regulations Federal Register ==================================================================== ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 5 CFR Part 532 RIN 3206-AI06 Prevailing Rate Systems; Removal of Putnam, Richmond, and Rockland Counties, NY, and Monmouth County, NJ, from the New York, NY, Appropriated Fund Survey Area AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Final rule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to remove Putnam, Richmond, and Rockland Counties, NY, and Monmouth County, NJ, from the survey area of the New York, NY, appropriated fund Federal Wage System wage area. The four counties will remain in the area of application of the New York, NY, wage area. EFFECTIVE DATE: January 23, 1998. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Allen at (202) 606-2848, or send an email message to maallen@opm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 3, 1997, OPM published a proposed rule to remove Putnam, Richmond, and Rockland Counties, NY, and Monmouth County, NJ, from the survey area of the New York, NY, appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area (62 FR 59300). The proposed rule provided a 30-day period for public comment, during which OPM received one comment. The comment was related to the definition of the Newburgh, NY, wage area--a matter previously decided by OPM following lengthy discussions at meetings of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC), the statutory national- level labor-management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning the pay of FWS employees. The proposed rule is therefore being adopted as a final rule. When the FWS was established in 1972, the New York, NY, survey area was composed of Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties, NY; and Essex, Hudson, Morris, and Union Counties, NJ. In 1975, FPRAC agreed by consensus to recommend that the New York, NY, survey area be expanded to include Putnam County, NY; and Bergen, Middlesex, Monmouth, Passaic, and Somerset Counties, NJ. This change was made so as to include 100 percent of the New York wage area's FWS employment in the New York, NY, survey area and to provide for a larger number of surveyable private industrial establishments. As the largest FWS survey--with a sample of more than 900 industrial establishments--the New York, NY, FWS wage survey has become increasingly difficult to conduct because its logistical demands create unusual burdens on local agency activities already strained by downsizing and budget constraints. To reduce the logistical burdens of the New York, NY, FWS wage survey, OPM is removing Putnam, Richmond, and Rockland Counties, NY, and Monmouth County, NJ, from the New York, NY, survey area. Of the 19 counties in the New York, NY, survey area, OPM is removing these four counties from the survey area because their removal appears to offer the best means of reducing the logistical burdens of surveys in the New York, NY, wage area while least affecting the determination of prevailing rates for FWS employees in that wage area. The removal of these four counties from the New York, NY, FWS survey area leaves about 90 percent of the wage area's FWS employment in the New York, NY, survey area, and reduces the number of surveyable private industrial establishments in the New York, NY, survey universe by only about 4 percent. OPM also considered the possible removal of other counties from the New York survey area, but none appeared to offer as convincing a rationale for removal as do Putnam, Richmond, Rockland, or Monmouth Counties. FPRAC reviewed and concurred by consensus with this change. Because of a typographical error in appendix C to subpart B of 5 CFR part 532, the wage area listing for the New York, NY, wage area follows immediately after the wage area listing for the Newburgh, NY, wage area without showing the title of the New York, NY, wage area. This final rule also corrects that inadvertent omission. 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. Janice R. Lachance, 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 C to Subpart B of Part 532 [Amended] 2. Appendix C to subpart B is amended by revising the wage area listings for the Newburgh, New York, and New York, New York, wage areas to read as follows: Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532--Appropriated Fund Wage and Survey Areas * * * * * New York * * * * * Newburgh Survey Area New York: Dutchess Orange Ulster Area of Application. Survey Area Plus New York: Delaware Sullivan New York Survey Area New York: Bronx Kings Nassau New York Queens Suffolk Westchester New Jersey: Bergen Essex Hudson Middlesex Morris Passaic Somerset Union Area of Application. Survey Area Plus New York: Putnam Richmond Rockland New Jersey: Monmouth Sussex * * * * * [FR Doc. 97-33581 Filed 12-23-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6325-01-P