Contentious Overtime Overhaul to Start

[southernleftylady]

WASHINGTON - In an unprecedented overhaul of the nation's overtime pay rules, the Bush administration is delivering to its business allies an election-year plum they've sought for decades.



The new rules take effect Monday after surviving many efforts by Democrats, labor unions and worker advocates to block them in Congress and kill them through public and political pressure.

The Labor Department (news - web sites) says as many as 107,000 workers could lose overtime eligibility under its new rules, but about 1.3 million will gain it. The Economic Policy Institute, a liberal Washington think tank, says 6 million will lose, and only a few will get new rights to premium pay for working more than 40 hours a week.

But no one really knows. That makes the issue harder to demonize politically, a benefit — or a problem — depending on the side you take.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040820/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/overtime_politics&cid=542&ncid=716

[Spinzonner]

1. If companies start invoking changes permitted by the regulation

changes before the election, there will be a whole passel of enraged workers who will jump all over the Republicans and Bush himself.

Even Blue-Collar DINO's or so-called Reagan Democrats won't take kindly to messing with their overtime pay.

They won't last in a Kerry administration.

[Florida_Geek]

2. Nurses to probably lose OT pay,, (Say byebye to Florida *

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x640461


Nurses will be a major lost for * over this IMHO.

[southernleftylady]

3. this should be kicked constantly today

[Love Bug]

4. Just in time for the election!

This is awful-- I'm salaried so this doesn't effect me, but this is going to be a disaster for a lot of people who depend on OT to make ends meet.