80 FR 17307 - Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of the Portland, ME, Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Area

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 62 (April 1, 2015)

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to abolish the Portland, Maine, appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area and redefine Androscoggin, Cumberland, and Sagadahoc Counties, ME, to the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, survey area and Franklin and Oxford Counties, ME, and Coos County, NH, to the Portsmouth area of application. These changes are necessary because the closure of the Naval Air Station (NAS) Brunswick left the Portland wage area without an activity having the capability to conduct a local wage survey.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 17307]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07405]



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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 62 / Wednesday, April 1, 2015 / Rules 
and Regulations

[[Page 17307]]



OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AN11


Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of the Portland, ME, 
Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Area

AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a 
final rule to abolish the Portland, Maine, appropriated fund Federal 
Wage System (FWS) wage area and redefine Androscoggin, Cumberland, and 
Sagadahoc Counties, ME, to the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, survey area 
and Franklin and Oxford Counties, ME, and Coos County, NH, to the 
Portsmouth area of application. These changes are necessary because the 
closure of the Naval Air Station (NAS) Brunswick left the Portland wage 
area without an activity having the capability to conduct a local wage 
survey.

DATES: Effective date: This regulation is effective on April 1, 2015. 
Applicability date: FWS employees remaining in the Portland wage area 
will be transferred to the Portsmouth wage area schedule on the first 
day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after May 1, 
2015. For local wage survey purposes, this rule will add Androscoggin, 
Cumberland, and Sagadahoc Counties, ME, to the survey area for the 
Portsmouth, NH, wage area beginning with the full-scale wage survey 
scheduled to begin in September 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madeline Gonzalez, by telephone at 
(202) 606-2838 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 9, 2014, OPM issued a proposed 
rule (79 FR 72997) to abolish the Portland, Maine, appropriated fund 
FWS wage area and redefine Androscoggin, Cumberland, and Sagadahoc 
Counties, ME, to the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, survey area and 
Franklin and Oxford Counties, ME, and Coos County, NH, to the 
Portsmouth area of application. These changes are necessary because the 
closure of NAS Brunswick in May 2011 left the Portland wage area 
without an activity having the capability to conduct a local wage 
survey. The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the national 
labor-management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters 
concerning the pay of FWS employees, made a majority recommendation to 
define the entire wage area to the Portsmouth wage area. The proposed 
rule had a 30-day comment period, during which OPM received no 
comments.

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.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Katherine Archuleta,
Director.

    Accordingly, OPM amends 5 CFR part 532 as follows:

PART 532--PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS

0
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 A to Subpart B of Part 532--Amended]

0
2. Appendix A to subpart B of part 532 is amended for the State of 
Maine by removing the entry for Portland.


0
3. Appendix C to subpart B is amended by removing the wage area listing 
for Portland, ME, and revising the wage area listing for the 
Portsmouth, NH, wage area to read as follows:

Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532--Appropriated Fund Wage and Survey 
Areas

* * * * *

 
                              NEW HAMPSHIRE
                               Portsmouth
                               Survey Area
Maine:
 
  Androscoggin
  Cumberland
  Sagadahoc
  York
Massachusetts:
The following cities and towns in:
  Essex County
  Amesbury
  Georgetown
  Groveland
  Haverhill
  Merrimac
  Newbury
  Newburyport
  North Andover
  Salisbury
  South Byfield
  West Newbury
New Hampshire:
  Rockingham (except the following cities and towns: Newton, Plaistow,
   Salem, and Westville)
  Strafford
 
                 Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Maine:
  Franklin
  Oxford
New Hampshire:
  Coos
 
The following cities and towns in:
  Rockingham County
  Newton
  Plaistow
  Salem
  Westville
 

* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2015-07405 Filed 3-31-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6325-39-P