Bush's Anti-Labor Department
This should be incredible, but it's not...
"The 1.3 million low-wage workers the Labor Department (news - web sites) says will be guaranteed overtime pay as part of new rule changes may not necessarily see any extra cash.
"While touting the $895 million in increased wages it says those workers would be guaranteed from the changes, the Labor Department is suggesting ways employers can keep their labor costs from going up.
"Among the options: 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."
When the race started, I was leaning strongly Gephardt, because labor issues are important to me and I tend not to trust all the labor promises made by candidates during the primaries. Gephardt had a track record. But as I've learned, so does Dean:
"As Governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2002, I stood with nurses and other employees seeking to form unions. I supported binding arbitration for municipal workers. And I signed into law agency fee protection for the state employees union, thereby providing union security for state employees. Prior to my service as Governor, I had a 100% pro-labor voting record as a state legislator. I was proud when I was recently awarded the first Paul Wellstone Award by the AFL-CIO for my commitment to the rights of workers."
Dean is also firmly committed to enhancing workers' rights to organize. This means more to me than the traditional proposals for another minimum wage increase, which affects mainly the lowest workers on the salary scale. Organizing puts power back in the hands of workers, so that regardless of which party controls government, they will have the power to fight for their own rights.
With regards to this overtime stuff, though, I'm guessing any Democrat would do better than that. Which is why I can't wait for the primaries to end so we can concentrate on taking back the White House from its current occupant.
"The 1.3 million low-wage workers the Labor Department (news - web sites) says will be guaranteed overtime pay as part of new rule changes may not necessarily see any extra cash.
"While touting the $895 million in increased wages it says those workers would be guaranteed from the changes, the Labor Department is suggesting ways employers can keep their labor costs from going up.
"Among the options: 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."
When the race started, I was leaning strongly Gephardt, because labor issues are important to me and I tend not to trust all the labor promises made by candidates during the primaries. Gephardt had a track record. But as I've learned, so does Dean:
"As Governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2002, I stood with nurses and other employees seeking to form unions. I supported binding arbitration for municipal workers. And I signed into law agency fee protection for the state employees union, thereby providing union security for state employees. Prior to my service as Governor, I had a 100% pro-labor voting record as a state legislator. I was proud when I was recently awarded the first Paul Wellstone Award by the AFL-CIO for my commitment to the rights of workers."
Dean is also firmly committed to enhancing workers' rights to organize. This means more to me than the traditional proposals for another minimum wage increase, which affects mainly the lowest workers on the salary scale. Organizing puts power back in the hands of workers, so that regardless of which party controls government, they will have the power to fight for their own rights.
With regards to this overtime stuff, though, I'm guessing any Democrat would do better than that. Which is why I can't wait for the primaries to end so we can concentrate on taking back the White House from its current occupant.
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