Well it seems that the 1600 Crew does truly not like the middle of America. How many of you out there want to work 60 hours and get paid for 40? Show of hands, please. That's what I thought.
Seems the ever worker-friendly group of fatcats running the government want to hose you...and improve your value to their shareholders in the process. Just think how wonderful it will be for them to work you to death, and not have to pay you for it!
Some 2.5 million salary earners and 5.5 million hourly employees would lose their overtime, according to the estimates by the group, which is affiliated with labor unions. Some of the most impacted job types would include: mid-level supervisors such as restaurant managers or safety inspectors; professionals such as dietitians, social workers and writers; and technical specialists, such as dental hygienists, drafters or computer programmers. The report’s authors argue the new rules would lead to longer hours for most employees with minimal cost to companies.
“That will have a big impact on their personal family budgets and also on their hours of work,” said EPI vice president and policy director Ross Eisenbray. “It’ll be more profit, but it won’t end up in worker paychecks.” ... The Bush administration and business groups argue the changes are necessary to reflect a growing service sector in the economy, and to spur economic growth and hiring practices. Among the arguments is that by paying less overtime to more highly skilled workers, employers would have more money in their payroll to hire new employees and reduce the unemployment rolls.
Dubya: bad for America and this proves it.
Hey, all I have to say is: Welcome to the Democratic Party...help your state become a Blue State next year and crap like this won't be an issue.
posted by Jo Fish on 06.26.03 at 12:21 PM
Comments:
How much more of this anti-American, Fascist bullshit is it going to take to get Americans off their lazy asses and out into the streets?
If people get outraged enough they'll start appearing at all public appearances of our Great Warrior Leader(tm) and the cyclone fenced "Free Expression areas" won't be large enough to hold them all. The next logical step will be for him to ONLY appear at miliary bases, or acre-sized cyclone fenced areas dotted all over every American city.
posted by: Lurch on 06.26.03 at 02:10 PM [permalink]
This bill is horrendous. When I first blogged about it, I'd discovered it around Mother's Day because the administration called it the "Mother's Day Surprise" - coating the cutting overtime pay with sugary pro-"family values" crap like "wouldn't mothers prefer time off with their children than being paid for overtime?" Not only does this bill give the power to businesses to decide whether employees will get pay over 40 hours, but they also can decide whether and when you can take the "flex time" you earn instead? The truth is that most of us who work overtime do it because we need the money.
BushCo seeks to upend the decades-long workers rights to 40 hour work weeks and overtime pay of time and a half. Luckily, it didn't have enough support the last time around in Congress - but they are planning to bring it back. We have to fight this travesty of governing.
