Contentious overtime overhaul sought by business takes effect Monday

[Nambe]

WASHINGTON (AP)

In an unprecedented overhaul of the nation's overtime pay rules, the Bush administration is delivering to its business allies an election-year plum they've sought for decades.

The new rules take effect Monday after surviving many efforts by Democrats, labor unions and worker advocates to block them in Congress and kill them through public and political pressure. The administration and business groups say the old regulations were out of date and confusing, and were sparking multimillion dollar lawsuits.

The Labor Department says no more than 107,000 workers will lose overtime eligibility from the changes, but about 1.3 million will gain it. The Economic Policy Institute, a liberal Washington think tank, says 6 million will lose, and only a few will get new rights to premium pay for working more than 40 hours a week.

But no one really knows. That makes the issue harder to demonize politically, a benefit -- or a problem -- depending on the side you take. ..

Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. If anyone should know about flex time, it's Bush

[napi21]

2. I don't know what's really going to happen either, but they may

have made a very big mistake in enacting this in August! By Nov., workers should know if it will affect them or not. If the Economic Policy Inst. is right, shrub will loose 6 million votes!

[leesa]

4. It's really amystery how they can enact something without any idea

of what the impact will be. Why DON'T they know how many will be effected?

[TahitiNut]

6. Because they can't predict the scope of abuses.

Any estimations they produce, based on the technicalities, ignores the fact that employers are now provided a smokescreen (or just confusion) that they'll use to rationalize withholding of overtime compensation. It takes years before HR and Legal departments will be paid (by the corporations) to actually make company policies and practices compliant with the laws. Millions of workers, especially those newly promoted or hired, will just grudgingly accept the notion that they aren't gonna get OT compensation.

So, it's a clear case of the reality not matching the actuality. Indeed, over the time that current OT rules have been in place, businesses have found more and more specious 'reasons' to deny overtime compensation to more and more workers.

Gawd, I wish this country had the balls to have a General Strike! People are so damned cowed and deluded it's ridiculous.

[Massacure]

3. I guess this will be interesting.

I guess we are about to figure out who's figures are correct.

[daa]

5. No Pay NO Work

I'm sick, sorry.

[0007]

7. Big business need more CEO's with a little higher pay grade, 'eh?

........and people love this selected prez?

[tom_paine]

8. More of this "he said/she said" bullshit

PERFECT for Bushevik Liars, Stooges, Bootlickers, and Propagandists to flourish in.

People wonder why Imperial Amerika lost and is still losing our freedom?

because enough of us stopped being worthy of that freedom.

Thus we get witchslapped like the 1933 Germans by the first bunch with the shameless hubris to take it from us like taking candy from a baby.

Sadly, it has been almost THAT EASY for the Imperials...

[Catfight]

9. Bush does not care about workers and the average person, only

his big elitest friends who own big corporations and get big big kick backs from Bush being in the big oval office. WORST pResident EVER!I hope Kerry can undo this piece of crap legislation!

[not fooled]

10. biggest con of the last quarter century:

convincing working Americans that unions are bad and that workers should act directly against their own self-interest by supporting rethugs and their anti-worker agenda. Now the chickens are coming home to roost. I tried to tell rightwing acquaintances months and months ago that chimpy was after their overtime, but they refused to believe it. Enjoy your diminshed paychecks, * fans!

Judging by the apathy and lack of outrage over the enactment of the new overtime rules, looks as though this country is going to have to go through the equivalent of another Great Depression and attendant pain before the average 'Murican wakes up. The pendulum needs to swing back towards greater opportunity and equality. Will also take another Roosevelt coming along. Instead, we might well get Jebbie propped and pumped up in '08, then the Next Generation thereafter. If * gets back into office for another 4 years, it's off to Canada!

[iamjoy]

11. Welcome To DU!

:bounce:

[newyawker99]

12. Hi not fooled!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Disturbed]

14. The Destruction of the Middle Class.

The Neo Fascist goal is to convert the Middle Class to the Working Poor.

The Right To Work Law

What does "Right to work" really mean?

It means that unions and management cannot negotiate a union security clause in their collective bargaining agreement. A union security clause states that a worker covered by the agreement must at least pay a fee for the services they receive from the union.
What’s The Real Purpose Of "Right To Work?"
The "right to work" provision was never meant to make sure a person could keep a job. It was designed to weaken and destroy the principle of collective bargaining. It represents a state-sanctioned policy of worker suppression. Passed as political payback when labor’s enemies took over the Congress in 1947, it was described by one supporter as recognizing and dealing "with the dangerous expansion of unionism…"

Supporters claim that "right to work" is good for the state’s economic development and that we should tout it as an attraction to business. In fact, "right to work" is the opposite of cooperative economic policy. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that annual pay for workers in "right to work" states ranks consistently below the national average. Sound economic development and job creation strategies should be based on such things as public investment in infrastructure and education that will attract stable businesses that pay decent wages and treat their workforce with dignity and fairness.

It's Really A 'Right To Work For Less'

It's no coincidence that some employer groups, Big Business and ultraconservative lawmakers back “right to work” laws because such laws weaken unions and in turn depress wages. Studies show that workers in “right to Work” states earn significantly less, while workers in non-“right to work” states earn significantly more. A primary reason is that workers with a union contract earn higher pay-weakening unions lowers average pay. Workers of color and women workers who are union members make significantly higher wages.

[Joanne98]

13. Elaine Chao is the Ann Coulter of statistics

I'd love to see her investigated. She reminds me of Wendy Graham.

[PurityOfEssence]

15. The Bush Administration: dedicated to making sure workers get paid more

Just crush the poor. It can't be just for profit, they must actually love it.