House approves bill to change overtime pay law

[Tx4obama]

Source: AP

9:35 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Republican-led House on Wednesday approved a measure that would give private sector workers the option of trading overtime pay for extra time off weeks or months later.

The bill, approved on a 223-204 vote, would allow employees who work more than 40 hours a week to save up to 160 hours of earned time off for future use. GOP lawmakers say they want to give busy working parents at private firms the same flexibility that public sector workers have to take time off to spend with their children or care for aging parents.

Democrats and worker advocacy groups say it opens the door for employers to pressure workers not to take overtime pay. And they warn there is no guarantee workers would be able to take the extra time off when they want.

The bill has little chance of success in the Democratic-controlled Senate. President Barack Obama has threatened a veto, saying the bill would not prevent employers from slashing overtime hours and doesn't offer enough protection for workers who may not want to receive compensatory time off instead of overtime pay.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OVERTIME_ALTERNATIVE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-05-08-21-35-56

[The Wielding Truth]

1. So they can make you work 24hrs a day and promise you time off next yr after you lost your personal

life. No thanks, Boss Man!

[RebelOne]

13. I worked for a city magazine in Miami and would work a deadline

once a month. We in the production and editoral departments worked almost 16 hours a day for 5 days. I was hourly so did was supposed to receive overtime. But the company only gave me comp time. I would take a week off after the magazine went to press. I received so much flak because I was needed that I was finally paid overtime, which I preferred.

[freshwest]

15. And your health and family, then call you a moocher when the inevitable breaking point occurs...

And they'd likely 'restructure their business' and change the rules when it's time to give you time off. If they need more workers to cover the hours, they'd pay for them upfront. That's all overtime is, a way to work fewer people to death.

[Posteritatis]

16. And you'll be on call during that time off, too. (nt)

[demosincebirth]

29. Most likely.

[RKP5637]

20. I worked for a company that did this, and when layoff time came

those owed/using comp time rose magically to the top of this list! ... so, the upshot of it all was people basically worked for free to hold their jobs through layoffs. We were also salaried (what a ripoff) and had little say about mandatory overtime. ... it was also a "right to work state" so that was F'ed up to begin with. Fuck corporations and fuck the system. And the sheepie had best wake up.

[progressoid]

2. And they say the Republicans haven't accomplished anything.

[RKP5637]

21. And around here they'll say WTF, and keep voting in

the most RW republicans they can find while they suffer the consequences of their actions. I'm really convinced most Americans are a bunch of masochistic sheep. They whine and then they go vote republican. This state is so fucked up it's like a twilight zone episode nonstop.

[demosincebirth]

30. Must live in a southern state or a RTW state

[RKP5637]

31. KS n/t

[demosincebirth]

32. 'nuff said.

[tofuandbeer]

3. Hateful bastards.

I was sure for years they were trying to take us back to the early days of the industrial revolution—and it's really showing now. Next up: child labor law changes. God I hate the GOP. How can ANYONE middle-class or below vote for these bastards?

[freshwest]

4. Middle class people that vote for them expect contracts. The lower are afraid of hell if they don't

Last edited Thu May 9, 2013, 04:51 PM - Edit history (1)

vote for the 'God's Own Party.' They took to calling themselves that and media went forth to spread their gospel. And now we have a generation who never knew anything but Reaganomics.

[tofuandbeer]

14. +1

[RKP5637]

22. ... because a large portion of Americans are fucking STUPID, there

is no other reason, anymore. Many Americans are just fucked STUPID!

[agent46]

5. Anyone notice a pattern here?

The owners keep taking more.
Well, at least they threw us a bone with Gay Marriage.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. Will never see the light of day in Dem senate

This bill is an outrage.

[leftynyc]

9. I would absolutely have hearings

in the senate about this. Scream out loud what these pricks are trying to do to workers. Then I'd have the vote to strike it down.

[Flatulo]

7. I was salaried my entire career, and I worked about 10 extra years for free.

Promises of 'comp time' never materialize. Never.

Watch for them to come back with a bill making just about everyone a 'salaried professional'.

I'm glad this one will die on the vine.

[RKP5637]

23. I accumulated so much comp time I could never take it ... and when

you tried to take it you were accused of trying to cheat the system. Comp time is another bullshit excuse to fuck over employees.

[Flatulo]

26. I am SO glad I'm retired and don't have to deal with that bullshit anymore.

Comp time is incredibly abused - by management. And it's getting worse.

My wife has worked for the same law firm for 35 years. She always worked 9 to 5 and was compensated hourly.

Well, a few years ago they decided to stop paying for lunch hour. OK, fair enough, everyone just started coming in at 8 to still get their 40 hours.

In the past few years they've seen a lot of retirements of long term employees. Think
they'd hire anyone new, give a young person a chance? Nope. They've just been stealing time from the hourly workers with the promise of comp time at some unspecified date in the future. Now they're keeping my wife until 6 almost every day. They still only pay her for 40 and are robbing her of 5 every week.

The partners at this firm are exploding with cash. These guys are buying their third homes, already having the second on Cape Cod.

Never in my life have I seen a greater need for worker protections. What do we get from our congress? New ways to fuck people over.

Disgusting.

[RKP5637]

27. I'm thoroughly convinced anymore that Americans, a large

percentage, are just plain stupid. ... be it from too much propaganda, religion or whatever, the net/net of it all is they are simply stupid when they vote.

In this dreadful state they go vote republican, get fucked over, and then go back and vote for even more RW republicans and get really F'ed over again ... and wonder WTF ... and so the same thing again and again. I'm fed up with this place and getting the hell out. KS

[ButterflyBlood]

8. would be useless at my job

Since we get plenty of VTO offers during slow times anyway.

More Republican anti worker garbage.

[Maine-ah]

10. fuck them in the ear.

We depend on that overtime pay in the summers around here so that we can eat in the winters. Fuck them. Seriously.

[RKP5637]

28. Some wages are sooo damn bad that's the only way one

can survive. Hell, I've mentioned this to people here and they don't even know the house passed this. Then, they'll listen to it on what passes for news in the US and it will be blessed by MSM as something great. And then they'll go vote republican again over and over 'casue their pastor told them to, or 'cause they don't want damn hippie democrats in DC or some stupid illogical lame reason as usual.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

11. As the Russian workers used to say--

"As long as you pretend to pay us we will pretend to work."

[John2]

12. Another good example,

to educate the American people what the Republican Party is about. They are in the business of rigging Elections and screwing you. It is just like passing a bad check. There is no guarantee, you will even have a job with that company in the future. If they want your sevices, make them pay the Bill now. It is the same way they do you. Don't accept an IOU.

[RKP5637]

24. Too bad too many Americans are too stupid to get it ... n/t

[Earth_First]

17. I work this way now...

...and let me tell you when it comes time to take the 'comp time' its never the right time, oh we need the manpower that day...

Excuses.

Constantly.

The only reason that I keep with it is the line of work I am in and whenever I am denied time off, I barter that time for material from the business towards home improvements I've made.

It 'sorta' works out but have no qualms that a nationwide comp time bill would most certainly not benefit the masses...

[DCKit]

18. The deafening sound of the invisible hand clapping... madly. nt

[GetTheRightVote]

19. This law is a really, really bad ideal...

We can not trust corporation to follow up on such actions. It is simply evil.

[RKP5637]

25. The corporate model in the US is becoming nothing less than

a form of slavery.