Overtime Pay is in jeopardy in the US

Nurses Activism

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Action Alert: Overtime Pay in Jeopardy!

Everyone deserves to be paid fairly for their work. Yet recently introduced federal legislation allows employers to offer compensatory time off to workers in place of normal time-and-a-half overtime pay. H.R. 1119 and S.317 would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to change the job description and duties, income limits and other qualifications for overtime pay protections. These proposed changes would threaten workers with unpredictable work schedules and no monetary compensation for any extra hours worked. Details and more info at:

http://www.nysna.org/programs/leg/alert_2.htm

jt,

Thanks for the website. I immediately went there and read the bill explanations, then contacted my congressman through the site. I just copied your thread with the use of the mouse and put it under the caption, Is this true? I sited this website and your thread for where I got it. Then I paid the $4.95 to have it hand delivered to my congressman. I realize a simple selection of e-mail, or print options were free, but hopefully he'll see it this way. The site wouldn't let me choose both e-mail and the hand delivery service, or I'd have done that. Hang in there jt. I'll be watching for you and thanks for being such a great watchdog. There is no reason not to contact our congressmen with it being so simple.

jt,

I must be tired. Finals were I guess yesterday now, I just can't sleep. Did well. I have one more semester then I'm on to boards. Anyway, I also sent the example letter from the site you listed in the same way because its' explanation was so clear as to the repercussions that we will have to stomach if it passes. Please everybody, write your congressmen before May 10, 2003.

God Bless You and your efforts for nursing.

This is some serious stuff. They're also trying to get rid of the 40 hour work week and adopt the 80 hour two-week period? Remember when they got rid of the 8 hour day? No more overtime for anything after 8 hours. Now nurses mainly work 12 hour back breaking shifts. What will happen if this nonsense passes?

Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
Originally posted by wishingmary

jt,

Hang in there jt. I'll be watching for you and thanks for being such a great watchdog. There is no reason not to contact our congressmen with it being so simple.

Amen ! No excuses ! jt gives us all we need to be informed, and to act on the inforamtion provided ! What a lifeline ! Thanx, jt ! :)

dont thank me.... that is the website of the NY State Nurses Association. All I do is pay membership dues to support the association so it can continue this kind of work for us. Thank you all for taking action to help protect ourselves.

I am outraged at this and I have not even graduated yet. I urge everyone to please visit Congress.Org and send letters to your congressman. I just sent mine and I pointed that we are under a serious nursing shortage that is only going to get worse and when you start cutting overtime pay the only people that are going suffer will be the patients. :o Hopefully our fearless leaders will get their act together.

Nurses: Stand United!!!!!!!!WE WANT OUR OVERTIME PAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

I sent letters to the Senators of PA and also my local Representative.

Aside from just not being fare to workers I really feel that this type of legislation would be "putting the last nail in the coffin" of my state of Pennsylvania. In Pittsburgh it is very hard to get young people, esp. college graduates, to stay in our area because there are very few jobs. We are loosing our population left and right, the state of PA is in the midst of a huge budget shortfall, as well as the city of Pittsburgh. And, PA has the second highest population of elderly individuals in the U.S. We are only behind Dade County, FL.

If we can't get people to stay here and take jobs as nurses, aides, etc. and then raise our taxes because we are over budget and then take away the ability of making a decent wage away from those who do remain, it spells bad things for our future as a state.

Thanks jt. Just sent the letter to all of my representatives and Senators. I too, am outraged about these bills and their implications. I am a single mom and have little time to spend with my family as it is. If this passes, I will have no time. Believe me, the facility I work for will take full advantage of this.

Just sent the sample letter to senators and congressmen. I am emailing this page to several other nurses.

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

Just one more example of:

Emailed my many letters as well.

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