| Comment Number: | OL-10500095 |
| Received: | 2/15/2005 9:00:39 AM |
| Subject: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| Title: | National Security Personnel System |
| CFR Citation: | 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
Section 9901.221 Classification Requirements - I am an 802 series Electrical Engineering Technician employed at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. I work in the Engineering and Planning Department doing interior communications and weapons design work for the navy. I have 30+ years experience working here at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and have successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE Exam). For the past several years I have held the position of group leader. As such I have had as many as 9 other people working under me whose work I have been responsible for. I frequently have 4 or 5 series 850 engineers working for me in my group and expect that to be the case over the next 5 - 10 years till I retire. Additionally I am frequently called upon to fill in for the code supervisor during times that he is going to be away from the office for meetings or personal leave. At those times I am in charge of up to 20 people with at about half of that number being series 850 Engineers. Our duties here in the Engineering and Planning department are not defined by tasks related specifically for either engineers or technicians, but are defined by abilities and experience. In essence, the work is equally open to be worked by either the engineer or the technician. Because of this as you go from code to code within the division you will find both engineers and technicians doing the exact same tasks. In most cases you will find the technicians training the less experienced engineers to do jobs due to the fact that they are the more experienced worker. At least half of the group leaders in the division are series 802 Technicians and the remainder are some of the more experienced 850 series Engineers. Because there is no separation of duties between the series 802 Technician and the 850 Engineer here in the Engineering and Planning Department at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, I would request, and expect to see, the technicians and engineers placed in the same pay band (former GS-12 and GS-13) under the new pay plan. To do anything else would be improper under the current circumstances.