April 20—The Bush administration’s yearlong drive to take away the overtime pay protections for millions of workers may become a new federal regulation after it is published in the Federal Register later this week. The Office of Management and Budget made the final version of the rule public today and employers can implement it after 120 days, approximately Aug. 20.
Bush used the federal regulatory process, which does not require congressional approval, to make it easier for employers to avoid paying overtime to their employees. Last year, the U.S. Senate voted to block any changes in the overtime eligibility regulations, and the White House move this week came as Democratic senators again prepared to vote to block Bush from taking away overtime pay. Republican leaders had rearranged the Senate schedule several times to avoid a vote on legislation to stop the overtime pay cuts.
Although the White House says the new overtime pay regulations will increase the number of workers eligible for overtime pay, pay cuts for America’s workers could be significant. Overtime pay accounts for up to one-quarter of the weekly earnings of workers eligible for overtime, an average $161 a week, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.
"Over the past year, in promoting its plan to eliminate overtime rights for 8 million workers, the Bush Administration has left an appalling trail of misstatements, evasions, half-truths, and outright falsifications that destroy any credibility they might have as defenders of workers’ overtime pay," says AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney.
"The Bush Administration staunchly opposed legislation which would preserve overtime pay for all workers and instead pressed forward with eliminating overtime pay for a huge swath of middle-class workers—many who make as little as $23,600 a year."
While the final regulation must be analyzed carefully to determine the precise number of workers whose overtime rights are threatened, it is clear the Bush regulation will restrict eligibility for overtime pay to fewer workers.
“The Bush administration simply is not trustworthy on this issue, and I am beyond skeptical about these so-called revisions,” says Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). “This president has gone out of his way time and again to undercut working families’ right to overtime pay for overtime work. The Senate will soon have the opportunity to stand up and be counted on this issue, and I look forward to the debate.” Read complete Sweeny letter here. Download file
To review the new rules go to www.dol.gov.
Posted by UFCW 227 at April 20, 2004 12:35 PM