Bush Stiffs Workers on Overtime


While touting the economy this month, President Bush said, "A more
productive worker makes more money"1. But if he has his way on new overtime
regulations, that will no longer be the case for tens of thousands of
workers.

In a move designed to blur the issue, the Administration today said it was
revising its previous effort to terminate overtime protections for 8 million
workers2. But even by the Bush Administration's own admission, the "new"
regulations will mean that tens of thousands of lower-income workers will be
cut off3. Opponents of the Administration's plan say that the revisions
would still cause problems for mean millions. The regulations are so bad for
workers that some state legislatures have even rushed through legislation to
block them4.

The new overtime regulations come just four months after AP reported that
the Bush Labor Department began "giving employers tips on how to avoid
paying overtime to some of the 1.3 million low-income workers"5. The
Administration specifically told employers they could "cut workers' hourly
wages and add the overtime to equal the original salary, or raise salaries
to the new $22,100 annual threshold, making them ineligible." Labor
Secretary Elaine Chao testified before Congress that too many workers were
filing "needless litigation" in efforts to force employers to pay them back
wages6. Her insult to workers belied the fact that judges have ordered the
government to "collect more than $212 million in back pay for workers" - the
most in a decade and a strong signal that the efforts to fight worker abuse
are far from "needless."

Sources:
1.. President Announces New Education Initiatives for Stronger Workforce,
04/06/2004.
2.. "8 million may lose OT pay", CNN Money, 06/27/2003.
3.. "Administration to Revise Overtime Plan", New York Times, 04/20/2004.
4.. "Senate votes to preserve overtime pay", Associated Press, 04/16/2004.
5.. "U.S. offers tips on avoiding overtime pay", MSNBC, 01/05/2004.
6.. "More workers filing overtime-pay lawsuits", Seattle Times,
04/11/2004.