Why isn't the country more up in the arms over Bush's scheme to kill OT?

[CMT]

If ever there was an issue that should work in favor of the Democrats it is this. Our candidates should be bringing it up at every stop. Our leaders in congress should be fighting this with all their might including use of the filibuster.

Jared Bernstein, a senior economist with the Economic policy institute, believes the proposed regulations will deny overtime pay to many people who currently are eligible for it...

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/Business/overtime030630.html

[Fovea]

1. shock and awe

It will take until the first paychecks come home, then it will be 'burn baby burn'

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

2. Republicans: Tax cuts for the rich, Pay cuts for everyone else

America should be up in arms. Since Gephardt withheld his vote on this, he needs to make a public statement about this issue and explain what the House Democrat's strategy is.

[Iris]

13. WTF?

I thought Gephardt was the darling of the unions!

this is just getting ridiculous.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

15. I think that Gephardt's

deal making on this vote, whatever it was, needs to be explained. Gephardt and Kucinich have the best record on worker issues than any other candidates, by far.

Lieberman, Graham, Dean, and Kerry are all on record as being pro-NAFTA, pro-GATT, and all of them support moving US jobs overseas.

If Gephardt really screw up this one, and there's nothing else to the story, he'll be sorry. I doubt it is a simple as that, though.

[Iris]

20. well, I think I sort of get it

Is the overtime issue about an executive order or something that could be undone by another president?

My dad is a retired union man and he said that every time a Republican president gets into office, they try this.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

22. The legislation was complicated

I don't know exactly how it worked or what was at stake. Since Gephardt has a very long record of pro-worker votes, and he has a number of union endorsements and usually gets the most, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. He knows very well he can't win without unions and working class voters, so I'm assuming he knew what he was doing.

Here's what the AFLCIO says:

http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/overtimepay/ns07142003.cfm

The 213–210 House vote killed an amendment authored by Reps. David Obey (D-Wis.) and George Miller (D-Calif.) that would have blocked changes proposed by the Bush administration to take away overtime pay rights for millions of American workers. The amendment was attached to the fiscal year 2004 Labor and Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill (H.R. 2660), which President George W. Bush on July 9 threatened to veto if it included the Obey-Miller amendment.


Here's a roll call:

http://www.nbc4.com/news/2325847/detail.html

[Nashyra]

3. The OT bill was what was being covered up by the statement

the SOTU speech had an error in it, however they did not think that it would raise such a stink. IMHO, because it would have created an uproar, now it will creat one later when people are aware that they are not being paid the overtime.

[quilp]

4. Because most people don't know. Yet.

It probably wont go into effect till after the election. I'm not sure what the Dems are doing about it. Which almost certainly means "not much".

[acmavm]

5. If you are outraged, go to this link. I just sent my letters an hour ago.

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/senateOTrider/8di33x24j8ii

There is a big campaign to overturn this crap. If you are sincere about your outrage, go to this link and tell your representatives.

[Ekaterina]

6. return of slavery

Perhaps Bush's visit to Gorre Island was perfectly timed considering this rank piece of tripe now sitting in the Senate. If the corporations get their way (and they will) I suppose we'll wave goodbye to the 40-hour work week. Since they can require anyone to work any hours WITHOUT compensation we are back to the slave days (except now we're ALL working those cotton fields)......remember that Bush's Sec of Labor Elaine Chao (married to Sen Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) has been delaying the DOL reports (AEWRs) for the past two years now.......for those who don't know, the AEWR establishes the minimum wage to be paid to agricultural "guest laborers" in the US. The report is due out in Feb each year but in 01 and 02 it was delayed by several months (until court action was threatened)....meaning, of course, that agri business saved millions upon millions paying their "guest laborers" at the previous years' wages....and Mitch McConnell is a BIG supporter or agri-corps, and they are big contributors to him......with this sort of intercommerce incest happening throughout the administration do you REALLY think they give a flying rat about the plight of those american workers who still have jobs..??
sorry == had to rant.

[hackwriter]

7. It gets worse....

The bill passed the senate by THREE VOTES. Seven Democratic Senators, including Dick Gephardt, didn't show up to vote on it.

Think about it: Dick Gephardt was out on the campaign trail courting unions instead of voting on an issue of vital importance to them.

That's why if he's the nominee, I'll sit this one out. Let the damn place burn.

[KoKo]

12. Dick Gebhardt is a member of the House not the Senate. Which Senators

didn't show up..........and was their vote critical to pass in the Senate?

[Iris]

14. I have to say this again, "WTF?"

What is he THINKING?

[sandnsea]

19. It was the House, note the Senate

It hasn't passed the Sentate yet for one thing. Actually, lots of things pass the House that never make it anywhere else. But the Senate still has to pass a version which would then be worked over by both sides and then go back for a final vote. And while it appears 7 Representatives could have made this bill go a different way, it doesn't work that way. They just leave the voting time open until they can badger enough switch voters. That's how they did the Medicare Bill, which actually failed until the Republicans badgered a couple of people into passing it and then quickly closed the vote. It is not right to bash Gephardt on this particular issue. I think Bush may be changing some of these things by Labor Department rules anyway, I wish I understood more about that part of it because that could be implemented quite quickly.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Probably because...

too many people, particularly middle-class voters, won't be affected by it. Most people have lost their OT by now anyway.

If you're unionized, the contract deals with it, and Federal law has little to say about it, but very few have effective unions.

For the rest of us, we are largely already considered "exempt." Even non-exempt employees are already getting screwed as it is. Witness the scandals over Wal-Mart rigging timecards-- something that goes on all over, but is almost impossible to control.

Americans now work longer hours, and get paid less for OT, than workers in any other industrialized nation. We have fewer holidays and shorter vacations than anyone else. This new rule simply codifies what has already been going on.

[Ekaterina]

9. Technological wonders

Exactly! and they wonder why kids are running around neighborhoods with assault rifles?Because mom and dad are busy being milked for their mandatory 70-hour week to make ends meet. Corporations are directly responsible for the social meltdown in this country. And why -- with all the advances in technology -- are we STILL working 40-hr weeks?>??????? that is as arcane a notion in most sectors as COMMUTING (I could PHONE my job in but nnoooooooo, gotta come to the cube). What is up with that? well, who benefits?? Gas companies would go broke if we all worked from home (although corporations COULD save massive $$ on office space etc). As for OT being a thing of the past, that is all too true. No one here has gotten OT for a decade....they do give SOME people comp time.
Anyway, it would seem that work weeks would get SHORTER and benefits would be get better but I suppose they are too busy skimming all the profits off to care or worry.

[lastliberalintexas]

21. Yep

Also, a number of employers have actually cut back on OT hours b/c the work isn't there anymore! (A friend of mine who used to rely on OT for his family's monthly bills has not been able to get any OT work for the past 6 months) For what manufacturing jobs we still have, the employers realize that they are stupid to continue to produce products for which there is no demand.

The biggest short term economic problem facing the US (and the world actually) is the lack of consumer demand. Meanwhile, Shrub and his boys push more tax cuts designed to spur investment. Supply siders to the death. :eyes:

[KG]

10. uh, why aren't the democrats raising holy hell about it?

even 'mr. labor' gepardt couldn't be bothered to show up to vote against it.

could it be they no longer really cares about working class families in this country? i think that's a fair assesment.

let's be realistic about the failure of the dem. party to prevent the regression of labor laws, worker safety laws, and union power in this country for the past 20 years.

[onecitizen]

11. They don't know about it yet..........

and they either don't care or don't think it will ever actually happen. When the public finally awakens from their snooze, it will be "shock and awe" here.

[Ouabache]

23. AVG American won't ever know unless the house guests on Big Brother

discuss it some night.

[JanMichael]

16. Don't see many of our "Conservative" DU'ers posting on this thread.

This thread about basic Worker's Rights, I guess it doesn't matter that much?

However they'll bitch and moan until the cows come home about a fucking bike race disturbance.

Nice set of priorities:eyes:

[MrPrax]

17. Because the Country Is Up In Arms About A Fraud

exposed in early March, of course.

One wonders what else might be going on...um...only 2 billion approved for AIDs funding this year (opposed to 3 billion x 5yrs) as promised...no doubt 'concerns' of future debt will whittle down this amount to 'what' was already being spent...nothing

Yeah no overtime and where are these Democrats I keep hearing so much about...
Ha-Ha (in the manner of Nelson)

:nopity:

[ward919]

18. The country is more racist than anything else...

As long as the Republicans are in, the RWing masses understand what it means as far as civil rights. They will do anything to ensure that blacks and Latinos are kept in their places. Everything else is a crap shoot.