[Request for Decision Concerning Army Employees' Wage Rate Schedule]

A labor union requested a decision concerning whether the Army could: (1) place certain prevailing rate employees, who worked aboard a floating plant under a schedule with rates set according to one certain wage area, under another wage area's schedule; or (2) pay them under a special wage schedule. GAO held that: (1) the Army paid the floating plant personnel in accordance with its long-established schedules; (2) the labor union did not demonstrate that the employees' operations differed from that of the other employees in the same area; and (3) only the Office of Personnel Management had the authority to change regulations prescribing wage schedules and rates. Accordingly, the Army should continue to use the prevailing wage schedule.