Advertisement
Just a week ago, Americans enjoyed a long weekend, in honor of Labor
Day. Now, as the busy season ramps up for most of us, President Bush
is threatening the very concept of the weekend.
That's right -- he's gutting the rules requiring overtime pay for people who work more than 40 hours per week.
Your Senators can stop him, but they need to hear from from you right away. They're both swing votes, and the Senate is expected to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, September 9th.
Please call them now. [If you're in Ohio,] we've arranged for a special toll-free number:
Senator Mike DeWine Toll Free: 877-331-1224 Direct: 202-224-2315
Senator George V. Voinovich Toll Free: 877-331-1224 Direct: 202-224-3353
Make sure their staffers know you're a constituent, then urge them to:
"Please SUPPORT the Harkin amendment to protect our overtime pay."
Please let us know you're calling, at:
http://www.moveon.org/
If President Bush gets his way, it will have at least three terrible consequences:
1. Eight million hard-working families could have a big bite taken out of their livelihoods. People struggling to get by will have an even tougher time making ends meet than they do now.
2. Many people will be compelled by their employers to work inhuman hours. That's because managers will have every incentive to stretch the hours of each employee whose benefits and other overhead costs they're already paying.
3. The same incentives will make it less likely that existing employers will create new jobs. Fewer new jobs -- just what we need now.
Yet President Bush has even threatened to veto an amendment sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) -- or any similar legislation -- that would protect our right to overtime pay by reversing the Bush rule.
The Harkin amendment will need every vote. Please call your Senators right away.
One final note -- if you are NOT a labor union member, please say so when you call. It's important that we demonstrate broad support for overtime, the weekend, and jobs.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
- Carrie, Eli, Joan, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack The MoveOn team Monday, September 8th, 2003
P.S. In case you don't get through by phone, you can use this website to send a free fax to your Senators:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/moveon
We thank the AFL-CIO for providing both the toll free phone number and the fax service.
P.P.S.: For more information on this issue, see this article:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3383181
...or this study:
http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/briefingpapers_flsa_jun03
That's right -- he's gutting the rules requiring overtime pay for people who work more than 40 hours per week.
Your Senators can stop him, but they need to hear from from you right away. They're both swing votes, and the Senate is expected to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, September 9th.
Please call them now. [If you're in Ohio,] we've arranged for a special toll-free number:
Senator Mike DeWine Toll Free: 877-331-1224 Direct: 202-224-2315
Senator George V. Voinovich Toll Free: 877-331-1224 Direct: 202-224-3353
Make sure their staffers know you're a constituent, then urge them to:
"Please SUPPORT the Harkin amendment to protect our overtime pay."
Please let us know you're calling, at:
http://www.moveon.org/
If President Bush gets his way, it will have at least three terrible consequences:
1. Eight million hard-working families could have a big bite taken out of their livelihoods. People struggling to get by will have an even tougher time making ends meet than they do now.
2. Many people will be compelled by their employers to work inhuman hours. That's because managers will have every incentive to stretch the hours of each employee whose benefits and other overhead costs they're already paying.
3. The same incentives will make it less likely that existing employers will create new jobs. Fewer new jobs -- just what we need now.
Yet President Bush has even threatened to veto an amendment sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) -- or any similar legislation -- that would protect our right to overtime pay by reversing the Bush rule.
The Harkin amendment will need every vote. Please call your Senators right away.
One final note -- if you are NOT a labor union member, please say so when you call. It's important that we demonstrate broad support for overtime, the weekend, and jobs.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
- Carrie, Eli, Joan, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack The MoveOn team Monday, September 8th, 2003
P.S. In case you don't get through by phone, you can use this website to send a free fax to your Senators:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/moveon
We thank the AFL-CIO for providing both the toll free phone number and the fax service.
P.P.S.: For more information on this issue, see this article:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3383181
...or this study:
http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/briefingpapers_flsa_jun03