Response from my Congressman - Help me reply with facts!

[CheshireCat]

Just received this email from my Congressman Joe Wilson of SC.

What a dork! Says the overtime changes will increase worker pay.

Please help me come up with facts for a reply - possibly to use with a LTE.

Here is his reply to my concerns about the new overtime laws:


Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding the Department of Labor and overtime pay. I appreciate your taking the time to write.

I understand your concerns and welcome your interest in this issue. As you may know, on April 23, 2004, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued its final rules regarding overtime pay. Unfortunately, there has also been a tremendous amount of misunderstanding regarding the new law and what it means to the American worker.

Such misunderstanding involves loss of pay to the worker. I can assure you that there is no plan to take money out of the hands of those who diligently show up for work day in and day out. It has been estimated that the new rule will increase payroll, not decrease it. Approximately 1.3 million salaried "white collar" workers will see a total increase of $375 million a year. Also, another 5.4 million workers will receive guarantees in overtime protections. In all, the final rule is creating more income, not decreasing.

Overtime rights have become a very important issue for the American worker. Unfortunately, current laws do not properly protect workers in the workplace. Because of the new rule, it is estimated that over 6.7 million workers will be protected. Additionally, for the first time in history under the Fair Labor Standards Act, blue color workers are given separate guarantees that never existed before. Section 541.3(a) of the new rule lists who is to be covered in the "blue color" worker category. These are carpenters, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, iron workers, craftsman, operating engineers, longshoreman, constriction workers and laborers. Also, Section 541.4 gives rights to union members who receive overtime pay as a result of the collective bargaining obtained by that union. In all, the list of positive aspects to the new rule indicates how important it was to update this law, now more than five decades old.

The many encouraging aspects to this new rule have already shown signs of success in the economic growth that we have seen this past summer. Please be assured that I will carefully consider your views, as related legislation is addressed on the House Floor.

It is an honor to represent the people of the Second Congressional District of South Carolina, and I value your input. If I may be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

[trotsky]

1. Very careful spin.

Approximately 1.3 million salaried "white collar" workers will see a total increase of $375 million a year.

What he is spinning here is the BELIEF that relaxed overtime rules will "enable" employers to hire more people and pay them more. Because we all know that the first thing a business does when it gets more money is to hire new people and give employees raises, right?

I'm sorry but it sounds like Repuke legislators were given a canned response to send out which deliberately skews and misrepresents the actual changes made by the overtime law.

[Vickers]

6. I see the response as even more ludicrous than YOU do!

Hard to imagine, eh? Anyway, this is the way I see it:

Approximately 1.3 million salaried "white collar" workers will see a total increase of $375 million a year.

OK, so we divide an increase of $375,000,000 (wow! that's a lot!) by the 1,300,000 salaried workers...

Hmmm...that's only $288.46 extra a year.

Or...that's 70¢ per day.

Wow.

Let's say the average salaried worker puts in 45 hours a week, works 50 weeks a year, so that's 45 X 50 = 2250 hours per year, so that is the equivalent of a 12.8¢ an hour increase.

Yippee!

[trotsky]

7. Dang, great catch, Vickers!

Ha, what a crock. A simple division operation shows how utterly bogus this "increase" is. Guess we worker bees just need to be happy with whatever crumbs may fall our way, huh?

[4morewars]

2. Here :

You should be able to find all you need here :

http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/overtimepay/

You may wish to tell the rich idiot about a living wage as well:

http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/livingwage/

While we struggle on sustenance wages his buddies are raping and pillaging the American economy, more on this , here:

http://www.aflcio.org/corporateamerica/paywatch/

I got all of these here:

http://www.aflcio.org/

Speak truth to power !!!!

[xchrom]

3. it may be that robert reich

from the clinton admin could help you with that.
google him and see if he has a website -- i know he teaches.

[4morewars]

4. Here's one more :

You can fill out the form and AFL_CIO will send the letter right to president stupid* ! And to your Senators as well !
Also, I'm sure you could use the letter as a good start, or to get some ideas, whatever.

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bush_NO_VETO

Speak truth to power ! (They hate that !)

[CheshireCat]

5. Thanks for all the information!

When I read Wilson's reply, I knew I had to respond. I will read all the links, do some more research, and compose a response to his BS tomorrow. I plan to take part of the day off work to write him and others who claim to represent us.

BTW, I am on the AFL/CIO's mailing list. You are correct in pointing them out as a great source on this issue.

Yesterday, I was despondent over the dire situation that we, as Americans, find ourself in. I have been fighting this battle since 1968 and I am tired. But that was yesterday. Today I join the fight again!

Power to the people!

[camero]

8. This is feudalist trash

My only reply would be to say remember when your boss couldn't make overtime mandatory by law? Now they can and they don't have to pay for it either. It's back to the 20's again in America.