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News & ArtsTuesday, February 26, 2013
Politics The Republican Plan to Fix the Economy Involves Ending Overtime Pay
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 10:35 AM
Daily Kos has everything you need to know about Republican Senator Eric Cantor's valiant and ongoing battle against overtime pay:
In Eric Cantor's February 2013 speech, he said he wanted to propose Federal Law that would end overtime pay for hourly workers. Currently, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, mandates that certain workers get paid "time + 1/2" for overtime work. Eric Cantor wants to eliminate that law. Because — ya know — workers not getting paid for overtime hours worked out so good for workers before FDR enacted that Law.
And the Republicans are back to cartoon villain territory, especially when you consider that a majority of Americans are in favor of raising the minimum wage. We're a nation that understands that the government needs to provide some protection for its workers.
2
We already have a mechanism for limiting overtime pay when it's appropriate: the salaried position.
Leave protections for lower-level employees alone; they need them.
Leave protections for lower-level employees alone; they need them.
3
You need to change your story, Cantor is a Congressman from Richmond Virginia, not a Senator, but Republican House Majority Leader..
4
@1: "Eric Cantor: biggest asshole in Congress"
Boy, he sure has a lot of competition. Are you sure he's the BIGGEST asshole in Congress? Maybe top five.
Boy, he sure has a lot of competition. Are you sure he's the BIGGEST asshole in Congress? Maybe top five.
6
Good!
They're legislating themselves out of their own jobs.
National polls show republicans becoming more and more disliked and distrusted. This should help that trend even more.
They're legislating themselves out of their own jobs.
National polls show republicans becoming more and more disliked and distrusted. This should help that trend even more.
7
@4, it's difficult to tell. Some of these guys are such colossal assholes you can't see them in their entirety unless you're really far away. Cantor blots out the sun, though.
8
@4: There are plenty of Republicans more delusional and psychotic than him. But his ability to stand at a podium, smarm turned to eleven, and straight-facedly propose screwing the American public is unmatched.
I stand by my superlative.
I stand by my superlative.
10
I think we should eliminate pensions for members of congress...and charge them undertime for the amount of time they spend *not* working.
11
Republicans should stick to what they know best; Demonizing our beloved FLOTUS. Yeah, that will win them sympathy with minorities.
12
I agree, overtime pay for CEOs and senior execs is a major problem. That includes bonus payments, carried interest, and other unwarranted expenses.
Cap that.
Cap that.
14
If only employers could force current workers to work longer hours for less pay we wouldn't have employment problems? lulz from the GOP funny factory.
15
Uh...this will lower payrolls, and therefore lower the take from payroll taxes. Putting the government further in the hole, not further out.
16
@10
What's funny is is that people who move out of the "service industry" into these "real jobs" they crave, wind up wanting to come back. In service you get everything done as fast and efficient and friendly as you can. You walk out with cash. But when they move onto these "real jobs" they want to do shit efficiently. This means that in their minds that means they get to go home early. This is a ding in the "real job" market. You stretch that shit out -- for again, people who are versed in the service industry and getting shit done as quick as possible this transition is likely impossible.
It's like taking that standardized test in HS. You wanna be the first one to finish it and you see kids increasingly get up and leave, it just makes you hurry even more thus nixing the "real scores".
Seems to me that this is the point of salaries and the only reason hourly workers is is that we work hourly. Just another thing for wingers to take a shot at killing.
There is one standard here and that is, the right wing has no concept of this history they pretend to espouse as a right only afforded to THEM.
What's funny is is that people who move out of the "service industry" into these "real jobs" they crave, wind up wanting to come back. In service you get everything done as fast and efficient and friendly as you can. You walk out with cash. But when they move onto these "real jobs" they want to do shit efficiently. This means that in their minds that means they get to go home early. This is a ding in the "real job" market. You stretch that shit out -- for again, people who are versed in the service industry and getting shit done as quick as possible this transition is likely impossible.
It's like taking that standardized test in HS. You wanna be the first one to finish it and you see kids increasingly get up and leave, it just makes you hurry even more thus nixing the "real scores".
Seems to me that this is the point of salaries and the only reason hourly workers is is that we work hourly. Just another thing for wingers to take a shot at killing.
There is one standard here and that is, the right wing has no concept of this history they pretend to espouse as a right only afforded to THEM.
17
It's not as if only the 1% have been benefiting from the past decade or something. Might as well hit common people where it counts....
18
Sounds like the sort of terrible, draconian proposal that is not meant to be enacted, but to make the inevitable "compromise" position seem reasonable by comparison.
20
Here is the quote from his speech that people are obviously misinterpreting:
“If you’re a working parent, you know there’s hardly ever enough time at home to be with the kids. Too many parents have to weigh whether they can afford to miss work even for half a day to see their child off on the first day of school or attend a parent-teacher conference.
Federal laws dating back to the 1930s make it harder for parents who hold hourly jobs to balance the demands of work and home. An hourly employee cannot convert previous overtime into future comp-time or flex-time. In 1985, Congress passed a law that gave state and municipal employees this flexibility, but today still denies that same privilege to the entire private sector. That’s not right.
There’s a police officer at home in my district, her name is Vicki. She is working a tough job, with long hours, while raising her children. Her life is made a little easier because as a local government employee, she is permitted to work some extra hours and save it up for a sick day or a school event.
Imagine if we simply chose to give all employees and employers this option. A working mom could work overtime this month and use it as time off next month without having to worry about whether she’ll be able to take home enough money to pay the rent. This is the kind of common sense legislation that should be non-controversial and moves us in the right direction to help make life work for families.”
Could someone please show me where he talks about getting rid of the 1930's laws?
Could someone please show me where he says he wants to do away with hourly pay altogether? I don't see it. He's talking about giving all employees the same choice to do with their overtime hours as State and Federal employees. Refuting lies.....sometimes, folks, it's as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
More...
“If you’re a working parent, you know there’s hardly ever enough time at home to be with the kids. Too many parents have to weigh whether they can afford to miss work even for half a day to see their child off on the first day of school or attend a parent-teacher conference.
Federal laws dating back to the 1930s make it harder for parents who hold hourly jobs to balance the demands of work and home. An hourly employee cannot convert previous overtime into future comp-time or flex-time. In 1985, Congress passed a law that gave state and municipal employees this flexibility, but today still denies that same privilege to the entire private sector. That’s not right.
There’s a police officer at home in my district, her name is Vicki. She is working a tough job, with long hours, while raising her children. Her life is made a little easier because as a local government employee, she is permitted to work some extra hours and save it up for a sick day or a school event.
Imagine if we simply chose to give all employees and employers this option. A working mom could work overtime this month and use it as time off next month without having to worry about whether she’ll be able to take home enough money to pay the rent. This is the kind of common sense legislation that should be non-controversial and moves us in the right direction to help make life work for families.”
Could someone please show me where he talks about getting rid of the 1930's laws?
Could someone please show me where he says he wants to do away with hourly pay altogether? I don't see it. He's talking about giving all employees the same choice to do with their overtime hours as State and Federal employees. Refuting lies.....sometimes, folks, it's as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
21
Here is the quote from his speech that people are obviously misinterpreting:
“If you’re a working parent, you know there’s hardly ever enough time at home to be with the kids. Too many parents have to weigh whether they can afford to miss work even for half a day to see their child off on the first day of school or attend a parent-teacher conference.
Federal laws dating back to the 1930s make it harder for parents who hold hourly jobs to balance the demands of work and home. An hourly employee cannot convert previous overtime into future comp-time or flex-time. In 1985, Congress passed a law that gave state and municipal employees this flexibility, but today still denies that same privilege to the entire private sector. That’s not right.
There’s a police officer at home in my district, her name is Vicki. She is working a tough job, with long hours, while raising her children. Her life is made a little easier because as a local government employee, she is permitted to work some extra hours and save it up for a sick day or a school event.
Imagine if we simply chose to give all employees and employers this option. A working mom could work overtime this month and use it as time off next month without having to worry about whether she’ll be able to take home enough money to pay the rent. This is the kind of common sense legislation that should be non-controversial and moves us in the right direction to help make life work for families.”
Could someone please show me where he talks about getting rid of the 1930's laws?
Could someone please show me where he says he wants to do away with hourly pay altogether? I don't see it. He's talking about giving all employees the same choice to do with their overtime hours as State and Federal employees. Refuting lies.....sometimes, folks, it's as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
More...
“If you’re a working parent, you know there’s hardly ever enough time at home to be with the kids. Too many parents have to weigh whether they can afford to miss work even for half a day to see their child off on the first day of school or attend a parent-teacher conference.
Federal laws dating back to the 1930s make it harder for parents who hold hourly jobs to balance the demands of work and home. An hourly employee cannot convert previous overtime into future comp-time or flex-time. In 1985, Congress passed a law that gave state and municipal employees this flexibility, but today still denies that same privilege to the entire private sector. That’s not right.
There’s a police officer at home in my district, her name is Vicki. She is working a tough job, with long hours, while raising her children. Her life is made a little easier because as a local government employee, she is permitted to work some extra hours and save it up for a sick day or a school event.
Imagine if we simply chose to give all employees and employers this option. A working mom could work overtime this month and use it as time off next month without having to worry about whether she’ll be able to take home enough money to pay the rent. This is the kind of common sense legislation that should be non-controversial and moves us in the right direction to help make life work for families.”
Could someone please show me where he talks about getting rid of the 1930's laws?
Could someone please show me where he says he wants to do away with hourly pay altogether? I don't see it. He's talking about giving all employees the same choice to do with their overtime hours as State and Federal employees. Refuting lies.....sometimes, folks, it's as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
22
Nothing would solve the unemployment problem in this country faster than allowing employers to force their employees to work more unpaid overtime. Thank you Cantor for showing us the light.
23
20 & 21 Obviously you don't understand how "comp time" is implemented to get around paying overtime. Without a cost to exessive hours employers have no incentive to manage their operations well to minimize the need for overtime hours.
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