New Hampshire Republicans Propose Bill To Eliminate Workers’ Lunch Breaks

[kpete]

New Hampshire Republicans Propose Bill To Eliminate Workers’ Lunch Breaks
By Pat Garofalo on Feb 8, 2012 at 3:00 pm

New Hampshire’s GOP legislature has come up with all manner of absurd bills recently, including a proposal making public school curriculum optional, another to prevent police from protecting domestic abuse victims, and even a measure mandating that new laws be based on the Magna Carta. Some of the Granite State’s GOP lawmakers have even proposed doing away with the law that requires employers to give their workers time off for lunch, under the rationale that all employers will simply grant lunch breaks out of the goodness of their hearts:

“This is an unneeded law,” Republican state Representative Kyle Jones said. “If I was to deny one of my employees a break, I would be in a very bad position with the company’s human resources representative. If you consider that this is a very easy law to follow in that everyone already does it, then why do we need it? Our constituents have already proven that they have enough common sense to do this on their own.”

MORE:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/02/08/421510/new-hampshire-gop-repeal-lunch/


..............

Lunch breaks on the chopping block
Bill would leave it up to employers
By Ray Duckler / Monitor columnist
February 8, 2012

Mark MacKenzie, the state's AFL-CIO president, yesterday told Rep. JR Hoell of Dunbarton to give him a break.

Repeal the law requiring half-hour lunch breaks for employees after five straight hours of work?

Trust all bosses to do the right thing, all the time?

MacKenzie, who once fought fires and now fights for workers' rights, said pass the salad, not this bill.

"Quite frankly," MacKenzie said, "considering this is 2012, and I'm talking about the repeal of the lunch hour, this is outrageous."

MORE:
http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/310149/lunch-breaks-on-the-chopping-block?CSAuthResp=1328749296%3A520p641452tsg0gmrls01c0890%3ACSUserId%7CCSGroupId%3Aapproved%3AD96D9ECC79CD26463DFEBC6D5FFED77D&CSUserId=94&CSGroupId=1

[southernyankeebelle]

1. Gee, NH how is having all those teabaggers working for you all now?

[Mopar151]

54. Sucks pond water, pretty much.

Mostly 'cuz they are working for ALEC, Grover Norquist, and the NRA - NOT for the people of NH.

[southernyankeebelle]

57. Do you think they will continue during the next cycle? You know that live and let die thing pretty

much is destroying your state now. What do you think? Are the people happy? Or do they realize they went to far? My heart goes out to you. Believe me I take happyness what is going on across this country. I live in Tn and we aren't there yet. However, give them time we have a republican governor and he likes doing things in the dark.

[Mopar151]

59. I hope not - even Republicans are calling for "Bully" O'Brien's head.

The Speaker, and his sidekick Bettencourt, are some nasty pieces of work. Out of state money will pour in here in the next election, from Rove's PAC and others like it.
Our top-notch Democratic Governor Lynch is stepping down at the end of this term, and that race will be messy, too.

[southernyankeebelle]

60. Sure hope the people wake up and see that they are ruining your education system.

[Mopar151]

71. There is a significant minority here who want it ruined. n/t

[southernyankeebelle]

73. Then when their kids are undereducated and can't find jobs what are they going to do? Wondering,

I know they will blame the democrats. You watch. Their legislatures are overrun with tea party yet that who will get blamed.

[demosincebirth]

2. What is wrong with these people!!

[nanabugg]

79. What is wrong with the Dems that this isn't in an ad already all across the nation? nt

[Occulus]

85. Ronald Reagan.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. So, let me see if I get this.

This idiot (and I'm being generous) thinks that bosses will do the right thing about lunch breaks out of the goodness of their hearts.

So, whatever happened to the (presumed) goodness in his?

[liberalhistorian]

31. Hey, give the poor man a break! It's obvious

that one of his two brain cells isn't working right and that's causing him all kinds of problems. Nowhere near the amount of problems he's trying to cause for all of his constituents, but still...........

[Uncle Joe]

63. He knows some of them won't, he just doesn't care.

There is no goodness in his heart, just lust for money and power.

[roguevalley]

4. scumbag people. unreal

[irisblue]

5. morans!

i've worked at places that have "disciplined" me for having an "unathorized break"...i went to the bathroom. i was a college student and needed the money badly, but i didn't need it that badly, aren't lunch breaks & other breaks federally required?

[AllyCat]

30. Not sure if it is federal law, but everyone takes breaks now because IT IS THE LAW!!

What alternate reality do these nuts live in? Human resources represents the company, not the employee.

[jaysunb]

6. How in the world do these people get elected ?

[lonestarnot]

29. Billionaire club.

[CTyankee]

48. because they campaign on stuff like "fiscal responsibliity" and once they get in office, they

pull a stunt like this!

This is why I DO NOT believe that the Tea Party is a grassroots organization! This was all planned, pure and simple. Look what they're doing re: redefining rape, defunding Planned Parenthood, etc.

[Mopar151]

55. Rove SuperPAC money

The last election around here was uuugglllyy! So much venom and bile coming out of your radio on the way to work, that the dashboard was tryin' ta throw up.

[Blue_Tires]

88. Chamber of Commerce cronyism

and the result of electing people who have never worked an honest day in their lives

[KansDem]

7. "...all employers will simply grant lunch breaks out of the goodness of their hearts."

"Out of the goodness of their hearts?" "OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF THEIR HEARTS??!!!"

We tried this nationally 30 years ago. Remember "trickle down?" Give the wealthy tax breaks so they will reinvest in the US...ostensibly "out of the goodness of their hearts?" Bush tax cuts 10 years ago were suppose to allow the wealthy to reinvest in the US "out of the goodness of their hearts?"

Enough!!! Return to pre-Reagan tax rates and let the Bush tax cuts expire! Make the wealthy pay their fare share! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS COUNTRY TRYING TO FUNCTION "OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF THEIR HEARTS!!!

[Amonester]

38. Should be obvious to all now that a big majority of 'em just do not have any...

"goodness" in their hearts, only unlimited greed.

[Nikia]

65. I agree

The goodness of an employer's hearts argument has been proven false again and again. For some reason though they keep using it.

[Bluerthanblue]

16. yes we are-

the free-staters have had a terrible influence.

We need to clean house this fall. Majorly. And we also need to make sure to keep republicans out of the governorship.

[provis99]

9. well, let's repeal anti-slavery laws then, too!

after all, we can trust the goodness of the hearts of the bosses not to enslave us, right? After all, it would put the businessman in a very bad position with the company's human resource representative!

[1ProudAtheist]

10. How Much

extra profit can they wring out of workers in another 30 minutes of work per day?

[libinnyandia]

11. Why have speed limits? Drivers will use common sense and will drive carefully.

[Bluerthanblue]

21. well, we don't have manditory seat belt laws for adults,

and rank among the top few states for seat belt usage.


I'm NOT saying that trusting employers to give workers lunch hours is a good thing.- this legislature of ours is beyond belief.

[Amonester]

39. Same with traffic lights. Who needs 'em? n/t

[Throckmorton]

58. Replace all traffic lights with stop signs.

Traffic Lights discriminate against people on side streets

[happyslug]

90. Stop signs are safer then traffic lights

Stop signs make intersections LOOK dangerous, while lights make them look "safe". The problem is if something look dangerous, people slow down and are more careful, when something looks safe they rely on what they believe makes something "safe" even at increase speed. Thus the quickest way to reduce accidents in an intersection is to take OUT the Red lights and install Stops signs, and the quickest way to INCREASE accidents is to take out the stop signs and install lights. To many people look at lights as a sign that they only have to watch the light, if it is green it is safe for them to go. Studies have consistently shown that NOT to be true. Thus if you want to increase traffic safety, take out all of the Red lights and replace them with Stop Signs (Yes, traffic jams will increase for it is for traffic flow that red lights are installed NOT traffic safety).

Thus the preferred way to get rid of Stop Signs is a Cloverleaf, but most highway departments prefer red lights for they are cheap to install compared to Cloverleafs, but all a ramp on a cloverleaf is a modified merge points where a yield sign replaces a stop sign. Red lights permit a lot of traffic to flow through an intersection for it makes the intersection LOOK safe, even when it is NOT. Just a comment that Red Lights should be replaced y Stop Signs if Traffic Safety is the primary concern of highway designers (and it is NOT, and never has been no matter how much highway departments claim otherwise).

[vademocrat]

12. "...I would be in a very bad position with the company’s human resources representative..."

Wow - is he really this stupid? Gee, why would you be in trouble with HR? Because it is against the law!

"This is an unneeded law,” Republican state Representative Kyle Jones said. “If I was to deny one of my employees a break, I would be in a very bad position with the company’s human resources representative."

[eyewall]

17. How many small businesses have a Human Resources representative?

My guess would be... none.

out of touch much?

[Citizen Worker]

23. And just who is the employer of the human resources rep? They most certainly don't represent the

interests of the workers. I prefer to call HR what it really is, Inhumane Resources.

[Highway61]

13. Just when you think you've heard it all

...What a bunch of scumbags. There is not a nickle's worth of difference between any of them...they are all scumbags in one form or another.

[KT2000]

15. some don't do the right thing now!

my nephew worked in one of those oil change businesses. They were not given breaks for lunch. They did allow them to eat a sandwhich while they were working in the pit. Tuna with 10-40.
If they didn't like it they could get a job somewhere else!!

[eyewall]

18. They were getting lubed.

[KT2000]

22. Ha! Gotta watch out

for the digestive part though (he did quit).

[christx30]

42. You laugh...

but it keeps vital internal organs performing well, and prevents thermal breakdown, which is the #1 cause of death in the united states.
Do everything you can to stop rust. Keep your radiators topped off, and check your coolant levels every 3 months, when you check your oil.

[sakabatou]

19. And if you do take a break, you get whipped... with a REAL whip

[Citizen Worker]

20. The corporations and their lackeys in both political parties won't be satisfied until we return to

the "shape up" of yesteryear.

[Lint Head]

24. Unions are responsible for the inception of lunch breaks and breaks in general.

This is more union busting.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

26. That's why they have contracts.

[Lint Head]

28. People who are not in unions enjoy days off, vacations and lunch breaks because of unions.

Prior to unions there was child labor and deaths because of accidents and over working.

[LarryNM]

32. +1,000 n/t

[AllyCat]

52. Hear hear!!

[kpete]

61. yep, that sounds about right to me too

peace, kpete

[PavePusher]

25. I wish I had a lunch-break law.

Instead, most people here seem to merely want to cut the number of workers my field has... thus reducing my chances of getting lunch breaks.

So yeah, my "sympathy" is pretty limited.

[Marie Marie]

27. Let them eat cake - Just not on our time.

Now get back to work and don't even think about passing out from hunger.

[Tripod]

33. I just want to spit now!

Insane, we are all working for less money then we did ten, and twenty years ago... WTF! I'm angered when I hear such BS!

[SoapBox]

34. I would like to eliminate golf junkets, money junkets, Around the World junkets for The GOPathetics.

...creeps. And of all the fucking nerve.

[Politicalboi]

35. Do we even need Human Resources?

I mean isn't it a "regulation" that is overblown. So now the bosses won't look bad to Human Resource if they no long exist. We'll just rename it The hiring and firing dept.

[Great Caesars Ghost]

36. If thats the case then the unionization will 10 fold in NH.

This could possibly be that NH GOP will shoot themselves in the foot.

[Historic NY]

37. Someone should ask the small local eateries, deli, convience stores....

etc. if they do any lunch time business. Then ask them what would happen w/o that business.

Neighboring town decided to move its high school out in the middle of no where. At the old school the kids went down the main street hitting pizza, chinese, deli's etc. at lunch time. Now its like a ghost town and business fell off.

Heartless bastages...cut off their noses to spite their faces.

[Sherman A1]

44. Ahh, the law of unintended consequences....

They never think beyond their initial "great" idea.

[SammyWinstonJack]

81. Good point! I'm sure the heartless bastages won't

give a rat's ass.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

40. Get the shakes and faint from low blood sugar?? No problem.

Social Darwinism in action.

i once had to plead with a judge to take a lunch break. I was the court reporter. The person who sits in front of the witness stand and bangs on a Stenograph. He didn't want to give me one, being a control freak.
I told him, "My Doctor's name is ___, I can give you his phone number. Would you like to call him and talk to him about my need to eat meals?"



That was so humiliating, but I did get 30 minutes to eat.

Both the attorneys at the hearing, who were two of the best lawyers in the city, complimented me on the way I pled my case.

I was pissed that I had to argue with a district judge in the first place.

[Solly Mack]

41. Damn

[christx30]

43. Ya hear that guys?

We don't need labor laws at all, because of the awesome, and terrible might of the HR rep! Quick! Someone get Valerie down in HR a scepter and a crown! She now has nearly absolute power. She is taking on the role of government.

Question is: What happens if the HR rep isn't doing his or her job and enforcing breaks and lunches? Who can workers turn to? Not the government. They are abdicating their responsibility to Valerie.

[CTyankee]

49. Plus, the HR person works at the pleasure of management and often IS part of the

Management Team. He or she would be one unemployed HR person if they went against their own boss on this issue...

[Sherman A1]

45. and just how many people are working through their lunches now?

In our "do more with less, guilt trip, intimidated the workers, workplace", just how many people are really getting a lunch break? How many are just wolfing down a sandwich at their desk or simply going without anything all day, afraid to use the rest room.

This is beyond absurd.....

[Vinca]

46. I hope they reference the Magna Carta.

Why, oh why, oh why, did I buy a house in New Hampshire way back when?

[AlbertCat]

51. Why, oh why, oh why, did I buy a house in New Hampshire way back when?

Really! Dude.... Vermont was just over there.....

[Vinca]

78. It was a spectacular real estate deal and the location is beautiful.

But . . . whenever we sell . . . it'll definitely be for a move to Vermont.

[kaffy4x4]

47. The beginning

of the attack on state labor laws, now that the Congress has made it near impossible to organize for a Union by passing the FCC Reauthorization Act this week.

[AlbertCat]

50. Teabaggers with no knowledge of history... among other things

Kyle and his ilk don't seem to realize that it's a LAW because bosses WEREN'T giving their workers lunch breaks and had to be forced to do so.

He thinks these things just happen spontaneously.... I guess...

like street lights just grow out of the ground. And firemen and police pop into existence due to... quantum fluctuations perhaps?

Teabaggers are dumbfucks who think things have always been like today, and the stuff that makes their lives so nice they take for granted and don't realize they were usually fought for by liberals and opposed by conservatives. Things like clean water, untainted food, roads and bridges, etc etc

[AllyCat]

53. History schmistory! There was a reason they have stopped teaching labor history

in many of the schools. So they can pull BS like this without anyone knowing. Except some of us DID read in social studies and history class way back when...

[Doctor_J]

56. Can someone tell me when The People are going to start fighting back?

There is absolutely no pushback against the galloping fascism

[Uncle Joe]

62. That was mighty gracious of the Republicans not to go after bathroom breaks, however I suppose

it's just a matter of time.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[fascisthunter]

64. The Party of the Anti-American Worker

these people are sick!

[alterfurz]

66. New Hampshire: Live Lunch-Free or Die

[xxqqqzme]

67. Ths paves the way for all sorts of

employers 'out of the goodness' policies. Let's get rid of 8 hour work days; child labor restrictions; dangerous/unhealthy work place conditions; safety gear.

Employers will place soooo much value in their employees all those policies will be followed anyway out of the goodness of their little black hearts.

[Cyrano]

68. Goddamn employees.

They're allowed to drink water on the job. They're allowed to breathe air on the job.

Who knows what they'll demand next?

[aquart]

70. Water costs money. What are you thinking?

[aquart]

69. Will lawmakers work through lunch?

Better yet, punch a time clock?

Pretty please, can we pay them by the hour?

[kenfrequed]

72. Lately the GOP has become almost cartoonish

Between this and the assault on birth control...

I almost have to wonder if they are trying to lose.

[KamaAina]

74. New Hampshire's lower house has 400 seats

for a state of 1.2 million. And they're paid only a per diem. Imagine how many crackpots there'd be in Congress if there were a proportional 100,000 seats and no pay!

[KamaAina]

83. Free tolls?? Sign me up!

[workinclasszero]

75. So Newt wants to put poor kids to work scrubbing the rich kids toliets..

And now these asswipes want to take away lunch breaks????

You know I think secretly they want Obama to be reelected!

Damn I cant wait for the teabag nominee to run on the platform of NO lunch breaks! All poor kids scrub toilets and the outlawing of birth control!

While the economy steadily improves...

Its gonna be a democratic LANDSLIDE people!

[MNBrewer]

76. THis is the problem with electing the business owners

instead of the people who actually do the work of the company

[glinda]

77. Does it occur to people that they are doing this to drain the Governments of

money and time? Everything costs. All these bizarre rules Conservatives are putting up cost time, money, etc....

[Icicle]

80. That's exactly

...what they're doing. Take the assets of the government (owned by the people) and gift it to private, usually corporate, interests.
It is theft.

[glinda]

84. That also but I am speaking directly of the time and money lost directly in Government.

[grantcart]

86. One of the Unions I work with just won a

$ 15 million lawsuit against a company that did not respect the lunch hour in the contract.

So, no, employers will not respect what is common sense. In fact even if they have a federal contract that pays the company for it, they will still try and take it away.

[lunatica]

87. Can we at least eat while we're working?

Fuck them.

[and-justice-for-all]

89. That is a good use of tax payer money....

"sarcasm"

The entire gop needs to be sent over a cliff in a burning bus.

[LadyInAZ]

91. LOL... love this post and comments

Too funny... Human Resource was designed to protect the company interests and represent the employees... However, in my 15 years of my profession I've never seen HR put the people first... Reason why this is too funny... they have not a clue... goes to show you Teabaggers needs no representive to run for office of any government posting... if they controlled we will return this country back to when the 1st 13 colonies settled...