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Tell Congress to Restore Overtime Pay
Starting this week, members of Congress have a chance to save overtime pay as they vote on 2005 spending bills.
Members of Congress already have voted six times to reject President George W. Bush's overtime pay take-away. Once again, they face the threat of a presidential veto.
Remind your members of Congress just how important overtime pay is to working families, and urge them to vote to restore overtime pay.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Take Back Our Overtime
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
The Bush administration's overtime pay cut--which takes overtime pay protections from some 6 million workers--must be reversed. I am writing to urge you to support any legislation that will restore overtime pay.
Work should pay--and overtime pay should be the right of every worker in America. Working families count on overtime pay for everyday needs such as housing, food, transportation, health care and more. Without overtime pay, these families will suffer a huge pay cut.
Working families need your support--and your vote to restore overtime pay. We will use this issue and your actions to judge your commitment to working families.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
November 12, 2004
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If the Bush administration's overtime pay take-away goes into effect:
- Millions of salaried workers making between $22,101 and $100,000 who now are eligible to receive overtime pay could be reclassified as executives or administrative or professional employees - and would no longer qualify for overtime pay.
- Workers earning relatively low salaries who have supervisory responsibilities or management-related responsibilities would be penalized, as would workers with advanced education or specialized training. Some of the workers affected could be nursery school and pre-kindergarten teachers, nurses, retail managers, insurance claims adjusters and medical therapists.
- Employees not covered by the new rules also could be hurt. Employers most likely would assign overtime hours only to them and eliminate overtime for other workers.
- Anyone making $100,000 or more a year likely would lose overtime pay, effectively eliminating many middle-income wage earners - much-needed extra pay.
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