On Monday, Aug. 23, overtime pay take-away goes into effect.

[RebelOne]

Just received the following e-mail from Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO

For more than a year we've fought to save the right to overtime pay for the millions of America's workers targeted by the Bush administration's overtime pay take-away. Responding to the avalanche of letters, faxes and phone calls you've sent, three times senators and representatives have said 'No' to these pay cuts with bipartisan votes. But each time the White House, working with Republican leaders in Congress, has blocked the legislation that would have saved workers' right to overtime pay.

On Monday, Aug. 23, the overtime pay take-away—the biggest pay cut in America's history—goes into effect. Employers will begin to decide who loses the right to overtime pay at their workplaces. Unfortunately, they'll have some help from Uncle Sam. The U.S. Department of Labor will be using your tax dollars to offer "assistance" to companies trying to figure this out.

This is an outrage. And we will not let this day pass without making our voices heard.

On Monday, we will launch an important new petition to demonstrate our outrage to the media, Congress and the Bush administration. We're going to demand they repeal this massive pay cut for America's working families.

Our fight doesn't end on Monday. It begins again and will last through Election Day, Nov. 2, and beyond until we reclaim the right to overtime pay for all workers.

While we keep fighting, we'll be assessing the price working families are paying for Bush's overtime pay take-away. Fortunately, many union members will be protected by their contracts. And now, nonunion workers can turn to a new organization for help-Working America, a community affiliate of the AFL-CIO for nonunion folks.

Working America is launching two new Internet resources right now to help people cope with the Bush overtime pay take-away.

Overtime Pay Take-Away Test from Working America

This short online questionnaire from Working America will help you figure out if your employer may try to take away your right to overtime pay. Please click below now to check out the test.

http://www.workingamerica.org/issues/ot_quiz.cfm

Ask a Lawyer from Working America

Through Working America, a labor lawyer with expertise in wage and hour laws is available to you via the Internet. Submit your question and Working America will help you get an answer--for free. This doesn't substitute for legal advice, but it helps. Just click below to get started.

http://www.workingamerica.org/issues/ot_askalawyer_main.cfm

Stay tuned for Labor Day actions and opportunities to make a difference when Congress returns in September. We'll be looking for thousands of volunteers and we'll need your help!

Thanks for all you do. Look for more e-mails soon.

In Solidarity,

Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO
August 19, 2004

[Behind the Aegis]

1. screw the poor! The Repug Mantra!

Although I am still unemployed (13 months now, but have a phone interview next week!), this issue, of eliminating overtime, is very important! My partner is in the IT field and his overtime is what keeps us afloat! How do people not understand that this bill will only make the poor poorer?!

People on salary already get screwed. I know that in the past ten years I worked for salary, I put in more than 40 hours a week at least twice a month. The running joke was that if the administration had to pay us based on hours work, they'd be broke!

This whole thing is a complete outrage! Does this not smell of disdain for the working class? Or am I missing something?!

Brightest Blessings!

[bryant69]

3. Good luck with getting a job

As for the rest I've said it before and I'll say it again. To be a modern Republican you have to believe that people making $15,000 or less have life a little too easy. And people making $100,000 or more have life a little too hard.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Behind the Aegis]

5. Thanks for the good wishes!

I really do try to be open-minded. But, I just can't understand the thinking of the Repugs!! I have trolled their sites and read what they say and think and it just makes no sense to me!

[napi21]

2. Is there a link to the actual wording in this new regulation?

I may be wrong, but I thought it was supposed to be up to the employee to choose OT pay or time off.

Am I wrong?

[Behind the Aegis]

4. try this one

This is the only one I have found so far.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20040820/D84J06DO0.html

It is my understanding that the employer not employee gets to choose. I still find this very confusing.

Brightest Blessings!

[napi21]

6. That link didn't answer the question, but I found the info...I think

I found this info at the Working America.org site. I had to join to get it, but it's free.

Here's the deal:

Millions of salaried workers making between $22,101 and $65,000 who now are eligible to receive overtime pay could be reclassified as executives or administrative or professional employees—and would no longer qualify for overtime pay.

Workers earning relatively low salaries who have supervisory responsibilities or management-related responsibilities would be penalized, as would workers with advanced education or specialized training. Some of the workers affected could be nursery school and pre-kindergarten teachers, nurses, retail managers, insurance claims adjusters and medical therapists.

Employees not covered by the new rules also could be hurt. Employers most likely would assign overtime hours only to them and eliminate overtime for other workers.

Anyone making $65,000 or more a year likely would lose overtime pay, effectively eliminating many middle-income wage earners’ much-needed extra pay.

It appears the big problem is not the overtime/comp time question that I had, but that lots of people will be moved into "management" positions and no longer eligible for OT, and the OT needed to get the jobs done will be assigned to the ineligible workers, thus taking that OT away from people who now earn it.

Here's the link, but you night have to join to access it.
http://www.workingamerica.org/issues/ot.cfm

[Behind the Aegis]

8. thanks for the follow up.

I was afraid my link wouldn't work. I was able to go to your link without problem. I still think this is a crappy bill. Again, we see this misAdministration stripping hard working people of the possibility to get ahead in life.

[Behind the Aegis]

9. deleted by me

sorry, hit the post button twice!

[Fleshdancer]

7. so if you work a 50 hour work week, you wouldn't be paid for 10 hours?

If your employer chooses to go along with this? Instead they'll give you more time off??? Would they calculate one hour of over time to equal one hour of time off then? I can't find the answers to how overtime translates to time off. I wonder if they have blackout periods for when employees can't take time off...like the day after Thanksgiving for retail workers, etc.

Weird. F*cked up.

[napi21]

10. I can answer your question, sort of....

I don't know what this bill does, but I can tell you how it was when I had management jobs (salaried). That's what it looks like they are trying to do with this rule...make more people management.

When I was "management" I got paid the same amount no matter how many hours I worked. The hours over 40 in a week were put in a "comp time account". One hour OT=one hour comp time. I had to use the comp time within a specific period of time...two months for example...or it was lost.

I don't know if this is exactly the same as the effect of this new bill for sure, but I suspect it's similar.

The part that's unfair is the change in job classifications. They used to be pretty specific, and they prevented employers from putting people on salary just to avoid the OT. It depends a lot on how employers treat these new rules. If a lot take advantage of them, there are a lot of people going to be taken advantage of.

[radar]

11. A Couple Stories....

...Via Detroit Free Press

Contentious overtime overhaul sought by business takes effect Monday
Friday, August 20, 2004
BY LEIGH STROPE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm21204_20040820.htm


COMMENT: Law steals overtime pay from Americans
August 19, 2004
BY ROSS EISENBREY
http://www.freep.com/voices/columnists/eeisen19_20040819.htm

[napi21]

12. I read both links. It's like reading two opposing opinions.

I'm convinced we are just going to have to wait to see how this all works in reality. I sure don't know how this is going to shake out. I fear the worst though, becuase there's nothing good that's come out of this administration's ideas.