Stop Attacks on Overtime Pay!

Boilermakers’ LEAP Update – July 9, 2003

** Please disregard the previous leap update, as we had technical difficulties to the direct links to our website. Please click on the links below for more information or to send an email to your Representative or Senator. **

DOL Attacks Overtime Pay -- Attacks on workers’ pay are coming from the Bush administration’s Department of Labor, which has proposed to loosen the rules that determine the types of employees not entitled to overtime pay after 40 hours of work.  The Labor Department’s 90-day comment period on the proposed changes ended June 30 and held no public hearings in advance—and the administration has indicated the changes could take effect as early as this fall.

More than 8 million white-collar workers could become ineligible for overtime pay after working more than 40 hours a week, according to a study released by the Economic Policy Institute.  Anyone making more than $22,100 a year could be denied overtime pay under the proposed changes if they are classified as professional, administrative or executive employees exempt from federal overtime rules. Working families would be subject to lower pay, longer hours and unpredictable work schedules under proposed changes to overtime and compensatory time rules.  For more information and to send an email to president Bush telling him to stop attacking overtime pay click here: http://capwiz.com/boilermaker/issues/alert/?alertid=1844826

Legislation is Necessary to Stop the DOL Proposal -- Representatives Peter King (R-NY) and George Miller (D-CA) will introduced H.R. 2665, legislation to stop the Administration from stripping any workers of their overtime protection.  This legislation would not stop the Administration from raising the minimum salary threshold, however, or from clarifying the criteria for the white collar exemptions in ways that do not take away workers' overtime rights.  Members of Congress who oppose stripping millions of workers of their eligibility for overtime pay should cosponsor the King bill, or similar legislation to be introduced in the Senate.  For more information and to send an email to your Representative click here: http://capwiz.com/boilermaker/issues/alert.?alertid=2783996

Department of Defense Legislation Attacks Pay Raises & Collective Bargaining Rights -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sent Congress the "Defense Transformation for the 21st Century Act." The DoD plan would radically alter employee pay, eliminate annual pay raises and promotion rules, gut union representation rights for all Defense Department employees and weaken procurement policies, all to the detriment of government workers and taxpayers.  The Defense Department changes are just the first step to extend similar changes to all federal workers.  The U.S House of Representatives and the Senate each passed a version of the DoD plan as part of the Defense Authorization Bill.  The separate proposals will go to a House-Senate conference committee to iron out a final bill.  Tell your legislators to urge members of the conference committee to strip the DoD Personnel System Plan out of the Defense Authorization Bill and stop the unfair attack on federal workers.  For more information and to email your Senators and Representative click here: http://capwiz.com/boilermaker/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=2775696

Labor Temporarily Stops House Comp Time Legislation, More to Come -- On June 4th 2003, House Republican leaders canceled a vote on H.R. 1119 (the so-called “comp time” bill), which would erode the 40-hour workweek and take away or cut overtime pay for millions of workers.  Employers would decide when employees could use comp time, workers would loose banked overtime earnings if the employer goes bankrupt and workers would forfeit cash overtime, often against their will; and employers.  Thanks to your efforts, the Republican leadership couldn't muster the support needed to pass the legislation – they canceled the vote rather than lose it.  Representatives need to hear that we are opposed to this bill and do not want it brought up for a vote in the future.