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BUSH GRABS O.T. FROM MILLIONS
Millions of workers, from registered nurses to financial service workers, claims adjusters and more, stand to lose their rights to overtime pay under Bush administration changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) finalized last week.
Employers can begin dropping workers’ overtime pay as early as Aug. 20 unless Congress acts to stop the new federal regulation. The Bush administration published the rule in the Federal Register April 23, and employers can implement it after 120 days.
The White House used the federal regulatory process—which does not require congressional approval—to approve the overtime pay take-away.
The Senate is likely to vote next week on an amendment by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) to the Foreign Sales Corporations (FSC) tax bill, legislation designed to end a trade dispute with Europe. The Harkin amendment would block portions of the Bush regulation that restrict overtime eligibility but allow the administration to change the overtime rules to increase eligibility.
If the amendment wins Senate approval, it still faces formidable obstacles in a House and Senate conference to meld the two versions of the FSC tax legislation.
“The Bush administration looks out into the economy, and this is the problem it sees—middle-class blue-collar and white-collar workers are making too much money. I don’t know what families they are looking at, but they don’t live in my congressional district,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.).
You can send a message to President George W. Bush with a copy to your senators and tell him what you think of the new overtime rules by visiting: . |
