Rare Victory for American Workers: A Report on Democrats Effort to Restore Overtime Pay

Dear Friend,

I am pleased to report that last week the House of Representatives voted to block implementation of President Bush's new rules ending overtime pay for millions of American workers. That action resulted from a Democratic amendment to the annual Labor appropriations bill, which blocks the Labor Department from implementing the new rules. I supported the amendment which passed by a vote of 223 to 193. While this is a clear victory for American workers who count on overtime pay to make ends meet, the battle to overturn the rules is far from over. President Bush and Republican leaders in Congress have vowed that they will stop any attempt to change the new overtime rules.

Just last week America recognized our nation's workers on Labor Day. I was pleased to salute workers at labor festivals in Janesville and Madison. At both events many expressed their opposition to the new rules on overtime pay. On that day President Bush said "the strength of the American economy comes from hardworking men and women." However, he was notably silent on his new rules, implemented two weeks earlier, which may deny overtime pay to over 6 million workers. For them, the result will be longer hours away from their families and less take home pay.

With other Democrats, I have been fighting against these new rules since they were first proposed over two years ago. According to an Economic Policy Institute study, of the 6 million workers who will lose their overtime, about 30,000 are nursery and pre-school teachers; 1.9 million are low-level working supervisors in fast food restaurants, lodging and retails stores; 87,000 are computer programmers; 130,000 are chefs. Anyone designated as a "team leader" on a "major project" could be denied overtime pay as well. Language in the rules gives employers great flexibility about how to classify their workers in order to avoid having to pay overtime.

I do believe the previous overtime standards needed to be revised and clarified since they had not been changed in several decades. However, the new rules are far from straightforward clarifications or updates - they will hurt many who were clearly intended to receive overtime pay under the law, including workers who may need a "little extra" every week to pay their bills and provide for their families. Consider the challenges that these families are facing:

• Household incomes have declined by over $1,500 over the last three years.
• Health care premiums have increased by double digits every year for the last three years.
• Since 2001, tuition in the United States has increased by $1,207 at four-year public universities - a 35 percent increase.
• In 2003, 28,225 bankruptcies were filed in Wisconsin - up 12 percent from 2002, the third consecutive record-setting year.

It is clear that now is not the time to cut the paychecks of these working families whose budgets are already stretched too thin. I assure you that as long as the Administration maintains these new rules, I will continue to fight for workers who deserve overtime pay for their hard work.

Please feel free to share this email with anyone that you think may wish to subscribe. As always, I appreciate your comments, and invite you to write to me through my website, http://www.tammybaldwin.house.gov/

Warm regards,

Tammy Baldwin
Your Member of Congress