WASHINGTON, DC – AFGE National President John Gage today called on the leadership of the Senate to allow a vote on President Bush's proposed overtimes rules. Congress voted to block implementation of the new rules as part of the 2004 omnibus budget bill earlier this year, but in a procedural move, the Republican leadership dropped the provision without a vote. Senator Harkin has offered an amendment, that would block implementation of the new overtime rules, to a trade bill currently before the Senate.
"The leadership of the House and Senate already defied the will of Congress and the American people by allowing these horrible new overtime rules to move closer to implementation. Now Congress has another chance to protect overtime for millions of people, but those very same Congressional leaders refuse to allow a vote." said Gage.
Gage added, "The American people understand that the CEOs of huge corporations desperately want the new, restrictive overtime rules. These are the same CEOs who take home millions of dollars per year, make fat campaign contributions, yet would deny hardworking people fair compensation for performing the extra work their job may require."