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Harkin Believes Overtime Scheme Can Be Blocked
Sen. Tom Harkin said it'll be close, but he believes he has the votes to block the Department of Labor's attempt to take overtime rights away from millions of workers.
Harkin (D-Iowa) offered an amendment Thursday to the omnibus $138 billion labor, health and education spending bill. A vote is expected next week when all four Senate Democrats running for president are available.
The Bush White House is so determined to strip workers of overtime that it is threatening to veto the spending bill if the amendment is attached. If it passes, it would go to a House-Senate conference committee. The House narrowly rejected a similar amendment in July.
"This proposal is anti-worker, anti-family and bad economic policy," Harkin said. "It will take money out of the pockets of hard-working Americans and it will not create one new job. In fact, it does the exact opposite. If employers can more easily deny workers overtime pay, employers will not hire new workers. They will instead force current workers to work longer hours without compensation."
The AFL-CIO is running TV ads in key states and is encouraging working families nationwide to contact their senators and urge them to support the amendment. Harkin said he expects all 47 Senate Democrats, except perhaps Zell Miller of Georgia, to vote for the amendment. Further, he said three Senate Republicans, and possibly as many as six, are leaning toward supporting it.
To sign a petition urging Congress to block the DOL's overtime rules, go to www.saveovertime.org. To send an e-mail message about overtime directly to your senator, go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/septovertime.
Harkin (D-Iowa) offered an amendment Thursday to the omnibus $138 billion labor, health and education spending bill. A vote is expected next week when all four Senate Democrats running for president are available.
The Bush White House is so determined to strip workers of overtime that it is threatening to veto the spending bill if the amendment is attached. If it passes, it would go to a House-Senate conference committee. The House narrowly rejected a similar amendment in July.
"This proposal is anti-worker, anti-family and bad economic policy," Harkin said. "It will take money out of the pockets of hard-working Americans and it will not create one new job. In fact, it does the exact opposite. If employers can more easily deny workers overtime pay, employers will not hire new workers. They will instead force current workers to work longer hours without compensation."
The AFL-CIO is running TV ads in key states and is encouraging working families nationwide to contact their senators and urge them to support the amendment. Harkin said he expects all 47 Senate Democrats, except perhaps Zell Miller of Georgia, to vote for the amendment. Further, he said three Senate Republicans, and possibly as many as six, are leaning toward supporting it.
To sign a petition urging Congress to block the DOL's overtime rules, go to www.saveovertime.org. To send an e-mail message about overtime directly to your senator, go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/septovertime.