Workers Fear More Work, Less Pay Under Proposed Overtime Changes

[Judi Lynn]

Workers Fear More Work, Less Pay Under Proposed Overtime Changes
By John Pain The Associated Press
Published: Aug 19, 2003


MIAMI (AP) - There are days when Mike Farrar has to get to his job at 4 a.m. to keep up. At that hour, the phones don't ring constantly and the e-mails don't flood in, so he can get a head start on the day's work.

The 50-year-old civilian worker at the Naval Air Depot in Jacksonville, Fla., designs flight-critical parts for military aircraft. And, most times, Navy officials need those plans urgently. Sometimes, his work day stretches to 12 hours, or he comes to the office on weekends.

"There's just not enough time in the day," he said.

Farrar has one consolation for his extra work: overtime pay, which totaled about $13,000 last year.

But now, Farrar and millions of other mostly white-collar workers could be in danger of losing that pay while still having to work the extra hours under a broadly worded Bush administration proposal to overhaul the nation's overtime rules. Democrats and labor unions are fighting the proposal. (snip/...)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA8ECU1KJD.html

[JPace]

1. "Workers Fear More Work, Less Pay "

They better get there early...stay late...don't
complain or their jobs will be shipped overseas.

This is the new wave of standards for American
workers thanks to rethugs and a government for
and by big business.

[hadrons]

2. 50-year-old civilian worker at the Naval Air Depot in Jacksonville, Fla

bet he voted for Bush too

[bigwoody]

10. Practically guaranteed. Take the disproportionate amount of military

spending out of the south and see what's left. There are stats showing how gop states get more back in fed. spending than they pay, yet "liberal" states get less. Another example of how we've lost the propoganda war to this point. The south took union jobs from the north, which they are now losing oversees and they are taking northerners tax dollars to prop up their supposedly anti- gov. states.:puke:

[benfranklin1776]

3. The only thing more obscene than this proposal......

.....is the asininely ludicrous reasoning trotted out to justify it i.e. more flexibility HA HA HA Yes being able to screw the workers by not having to comply with laws is always a situation that makes the employer's whiphand more flexible .....I loved the quote from the ASSistant labor secretary that companies can voluntarily elect to continue to pay overtime............HA HA HA! RIIIGHTIO. They'll just be lining up right and left to do so because as we have seen corporate america always does the right thing for its workers.

[ikojo]

4. Let us not forget what Gephardt

and six other Democrats failed to do on July 10: When the House of "Representatives" were voting on a bill to over ride the proposed changes in overtime rules, Gephardt (that friend of the worker) and SIX other Democrats didn't even vote on the bill.

Workers lost by a three vote margin 213-210.

Working people cannot forget this, EVER.

Dick Gephardt's words are cheap, very cheap. It's by his ACTIONS that he should be judged. I don't care what he did against NAFTA 10 years ago. When push came to shove in 2003 he abandoned working Americans.

[CheshireCat]

6. Will never forget

what Gephardt and the other Dems did (or didn't do) when this bill came to the floor.

NO EXCUSES!!!!!!

[liberalnurse]

7. Absolutely!

I am outraged by their neglect of duty.

[benfranklin1776]

8. This should be a preeminent campaign issue in 2004

Whomever the candidate is he or she should make an unequivocal committment to restoring these provisions as his or her first act in office.

[CheshireCat]

5. I know how he feels

Have worked 13 of the last 14 days, no overtime pay, no raise in 3 years in spite of outstanding reviews, plenty of comp time but can't use it because of the reduction in the work force.

I work for the state of SC. The staff in our office has been cut by 1/3 in the past 4 years. Our budget has been cut by 15% during the same time period. Now we are looking at another budget cut - possibly another 8.5%.

My job is safe but I am starting to have a hard time keeping my mind clear. However, I do have one of the best bosses in the world and he will give me my comp time when things slow down and a nice raise if we ever have the $$$. Not everyone is that lucky.

[pansypoo53219]

9. DUH

it is the cheep labor party.

[benfranklin1776]

11. The GOP AKA the "Screw the Working Person Party"

This should help punch their one-way ticket to permanent minority party status.

[ikojo]

12. If the Dems don't defend working

people aren't they also a cheap labor party?

What does Howard Dean think of the changes in overtime rules?
Kucinich?
LIEberman (oh wait he probably agrees with the changes)
Gephardt (by not voting on July 10 he showed me--someone from the show me state--what he thinks of the changes as well as what he thinks of working people)
Sharpton?
Mosley-Braun?
Graham?


Where on the Internet can I find written pieces detailing their positions on the Bush administrations assualt on working people?

[Nay]

13. Well, all these dumb workers need to STOP voting Republican!

But they won't, at least not enough of them won't. It's a sad day when people rush forward to vote for their own destruction, but maybe that's what it takes.

[w4rma]

14. Greedy Cheap Labor Conservatives

Democrats and labor unions are fighting the proposal.