American Workers Call on Bush to Repeal Overtime Pay Cuts
Feature Story by civilrights.org staff - 8/24/2004
Gathered in front of the Department of Labor on Monday, dozens of union members and activists called on the Bush Administration to protect overtime pay standards threatened by controversial new Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations.The new standards – issued by the Bush Administration on April 23 – took effect the morning of the rally. Demonstrators held signs reading "Hands Off My Overtime Pay" and "8 Hours Pay for 8 Hours Work" at the hour-long event, which was organized by Working America, a community affiliate of the AFL-CIO.
Enacted in 1938, FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards. Congress originally intended overtime exemptions for "professionals," outside salespersons, and jobs in "executive" and "administrative" management. The new regulations will expand these definitions and, according to the non-partisan Economic Policy Institute, cause some 6 million workers to lose their eligibility for overtime pay.
Working America's website reports that under the new regulations, "Workers who have only minimal supervisory responsibilities may now be considered 'pay executive' management; workers who perform some administrative work but are not in any sense managers may now be considered 'administrative' management; and workers such as embalmers, athletic trainers, and chefs who have never gone to culinary arts school may now be considered 'professionals,' just like doctors and lawyers."
"The stealth attack on the 40-hour work-week has begun," said Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.
Labor analysts expect about 384,000 low-income workers to benefit from a new regulation that will increase, from $8,060 to $23,660, the maximum salary at which workers must receive overtime pay. That change has universal support in Congress.
The Senate voted in May to repeal the President's revisions, but the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee rejected a similar amendment in July. Even after the overtime cuts take effect, Congress may pass legislation repealing them.
"When Congress returns on September 7," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney vowed on Monday, "we will demand that they act."
