Tell Congress: "Don't come home without protecting overtime pay."

President Bush's threat to veto legislation protecting overtime pay is blocking senators and representatives from safeguarding your paycheck. Back-room maneuvering by the Bush administration and House Republican leaders has made it very likely that overtime pay cuts could go into effect as soon as January. Please send a fax to your senators and representative telling them not to come home without protecting overtime pay.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Don't come home without protecting overtime pay.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am outraged to hear that Congress may come home for the holidays without protecting overtime pay. The back-room deals cut by the Bush administration and Republican leaders are a betrayal to America's working families. I insist you stay in Washington, D.C., and work to protect overtime pay. Don't come home until you've done everything you can.

Overtime pay is very important to working families. The extra money people earn because of overtime pay makes a big difference. For some it pays the essentials. For others it provides a way to send their children to college, to take vacations-the things you can do and every American should be able to do.

President Bush is wrong to try to take away overtime pay from any worker. I urge you to oppose his efforts. This is one of the issues that I will use to judge your commitment to working families.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
November 12, 2003


Background Information

Even though both houses of Congress responded to your appeals by voting to block President George W. Bush's overtime pay cuts, the president is refusing to withdraw his pay cuts and says he will veto final legislation protecting overtime pay. Back-room maneuvering by the Bush administration and House Republican leaders has made it increasingly likely that the overtime pay protections we won will not make it out of Congress this year. Bush's Labor Department could put the overtime pay cuts into effect as soon as January.

We still have a final chance to stop President Bush from taking away overtime pay from some 8 million workers if we make our voices heard. As many people as possible need to contact their senators and U.S. representative and tell them not to come home for the holidays without acting to protect overtime pay.

How did this outrageous betrayal happen? After both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed measures to block President Bush's overtime pay take-away, a hand-picked committee of members of both of these bodies met behind closed doors to hammer out differences between the two versions of the overtime pay protections.

House Republican leaders-working with President Bush's lobbyists-stacked the committee with legislators who support Bush's overtime pay take-away. So despite congressional votes to block President Bush's overtime pay take-away, millions of America's workers are likely to lose it soon.

Please take one minute right now to send a message to your senators and representative. Tell them not to come home for the holidays without acting to protect overtime pay.

It is increasingly clear that President Bush will not withdraw his overtime pay take-away. That is why it is so important that as many people as possible get involved before it is too late. Please don't forget to spread the word.

The sweeping changes in America's work life President Bush is pushing will hurt millions of working families. Paychecks will be smaller. Work hours will be longer. Job quality will be worse. This is a sad moment in U.S. history-President Bush is taking America back nearly 70 years.

Please take action and then spread the word. Thanks for all you do.