Molly Ivins warns us

[firecat]

Whole article here.

Excerpt:

They have their priorities, and repealing the Fair Labor Standards Act -- in place since the 1930s -- is one of them. In one of those annoying little Republican exercises in cheap misdirection, this particular bill to screw workers is misleadingly titled the Family Time Flexibility Act.

Cute, eh? As though they were doing you a big favor. The only enforcement mechanism in the 40-hour work week is that employers have to pay time-and-a-half if they make you work more than 40 hours. Under this charmer, if you work overtime, your employer can pay you with straight comp time, one hour for one hour, instead of time-and-a-half wages, thus saving the corporations millions. [...]

This son of a gun is a job-killer. If an employer can overwork the people he's got now without paying extra, why would he hire additional employees? It's bad for the economy. This doesn't "give" workers flexibility, it takes away their right to get time-and-a-half.

Comments

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

I just called mine and told her staffer that I was opposed to legislation that made the 40-hour week voluntary rather than mandatory.

I will compose the letter tonight.