Subject: USA: overtime pay redux

[Seth Sandronsky <ssandron@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Published on Saturday, December 20, 2003 by CommonDreams.org
Seizing Saddam, Deregulating Americans
by Seth Sandronsky

In America's big media, the seizure of Saddam Hussein has been spun in step
with the Bush White House as a kind of domestic proof for the war on terror,
and Iraq invasion and occupation. This official spin has had a large effect
on the people of America, a re-cent NY Times/CBS News Poll found.

"Mr. Bush's approval rating jumped to 58 percent after Mr. Hussein was
captured, from 52 percent, and the number of Americans who disapproved of
his performance fell to 33 percent, from 40 percent," the NY Times of Dec.
17 reported. Clearly, the absence of anti-war news and views in the
corporate communication system has roused some Americans to accept as
legitimate the official version of U.S. foreign policy.

Thus with Hussein imprisoned, the American public is being urged to unite
behind Presi-dent Bush and focus on the future trial of the former Iraqi
dictator and U.S. ally. Can America's working people also unite with the
president on workplace issues?

For part of the answer we turn to the labor policies of the Bush
administration. Nine months ago the Labor Department moved to take away
overtime pay from eight million white-collar workers.

full article:
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1220-08.htm

Date:    Thu, 1 Jan 2004 22:44:19 -0800
From:    Eubulides <paraconsistent@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: USA: overtime pay redux

Labor Dept. Plans To End Overtime Controversy in March
Changes Will Affect Who Gets Time-and-a-Half Pay

By Kirstin Downey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 2, 2004; Page D01


The Labor Department plans to issue a controversial final rule chang-ing
the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime provisions by the end of March,
according to a regulatory plan published by the agency last week in the
Federal Register. The rule, which would redefine who must receive overtime
pay, has drawn opposition in the House and Senate by many Demo-crats and
some Republicans.

"We've said all along we hoped to have a final rule completed by the first
quarter of 2003, and that's still our plan," said Victoria A. Lipnic,
assistant secretary of labor for employment standards. She hinted that the
rules may be modified somewhat to reflect concerns raised by critics but
would not be more specific.

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