update on Overtime Pay changes

Nurses Activism

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Still trying to stop that overtime elimination bill from becoming law, Congress introduces a new bill to protect the worker's overtime pay:

New York State Nurses Association

Practice and Governmental Affairs

Update: Proposed Federal Overtime Changes

On March 31, 2003 the Bush Administration proposed new Federal labor regulations that would dramatically alter who would be eligible for overtime pay. Under the new Department of Labor regulations, thousands of employees who are currently eligible to receive overtime pay would lose that status.

The American Nurses Association sent a letter to the Department of Labor in opposition to these proposed new regulations. (Read ANA's Capitol Update article on the proposed over-time regulations at http://www.capitolupdate.org/Newsletter/index.asp?nlid=34&nlaid=43 )

Several attempts have been made by members of Congress to stop the Administration's regulatory proposal. Congressman George Miller (D-CA) and Congressman Dave Obey (D-WI) introduced an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2004 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriation bill that would have blocked the Department of Labor from implementing these new rules on overtime pay.

Though this attempt was narrowly defeated, a new effort to derail the proposed regulations has begun. Congressman Peter King (R-NY) and Congressman George Miller (D-CA) have introduced H.R. 2665 that would bar the Labor Department from excluding any worker who is now eligible for overtime pay.

NYSNA urges you to contact your Congressmen and ask them to co-sponsor and support this new, important bill. (HR 2665)

Visit ANA's legislative action page to find out who represents you in Congress. http://vocusgr.vocus.com/grconvert1/webpub/ana/MultiHome.asp?XSL=Home&PubTypeList=Federal+Center;Federal+Asset

http://www.nysna.org/programs/leg/alert_5.htm

This brings up a question I have. When I was doing CNA work, I was asked numerous times to work a double shift. They were only going to pay me straight time so I always refused. I figured if I was going to work 16 hrs straight, I deserved to get paid for it. Are any of you nurses asked to work double shifts at straight pay? Have youi done so?

I work in a union hospital and we get OT pay for anything over our 12 hour shift. You would not be permitted to work 16 hours and not get OT for 4.

same here.

F/T is 37.5 hrs per week. We get time and a half for any extra days worked and also daily time and a half for any time worked past the end of our regular shift.

part timers get time and a half daily for any hours over their usual shift but not for extra days worked until they total more than the f/t 37.5 hrs/week.

sooooo..... part timers prefer to pick up ot by staying past their shift & getting the daily time & a half, rather than coming in for extra days at straight pay.

I am a prestudent nurse coming from the telecom industry as a R&D engineer. I have gone up the ranks as a non-exempt technican to an exempt engineer. In both situations, I have had to work overtime and as a tech. it is nice to get that extra bit in the pay check. However, as an engineer, I made a lot more in my base salary. Sure I put in some OT without extra pay, but I still think I came out ahead. When project situations got chronic, extra money or comp-time was made available to make sure people were available to work. Also, yearly performance awards were available to reward extra efforts.

What if nurses salaries were substituted for hourly wages? Considering the OT, what salary would you accept? How much OT would you be willing to give for that salary? I cannot imagine anyone would accept 40 hrs/wk at their current rate as an acceptable salary. Is that what is assumed? That would be outragous!

I have to assume that there wouldhave to be some sort of equity between a salary and hourly wage. Am I just wet behind the ears?

I have told people about this at work and most of them dont really care..

they have said well I have to pay bills and if that happen i still have to work

That right there really piss me off

this is not right how are we all going to make it speical if your single mom or dad...

I canat live of straight pay so i wrk OT of 8 or 16hours week to make

OH im in VIrginia the pay here already sucks fors LPN's all they going to do is make it worse for us here.

All this does is make the Rich richer, keep the people trying to make it working even harder, and poor poorer

Anything new on the overtime situation? The hospital has a sign up that RN's working an additional shift will get $12 more. Don't know if that means on top of OT or in lieu of OT. Various interpretations going around.

My CEO has promised that his facility will continue to pay OT despite the law. Of course, this may change after they have the law on their side...

I've written my letters. With enough outcry we may make a difference here.

Also added a paragraph or two about our 'nursing shortage' to edumacate the congressmen (or at least the congressmens' aides) a bit. Made me feel better to do some truth telling, anywho.

Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

Letters have been sent to my Congresswoman, state representatives, and the President. This is really scary! If I were forced to work OT, and then not get paid for it, I will leave the bedside. Why do they want to punish those of us who have stayed in bedside nursing? I didn't realize until I looked at the ANA politics page that one of our Congresswomen, Ann Northup has voted against the ANA consistently on everything.

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