NukeWorker Forum
Career Path => Money Matters => Topic started by: wave_theory on Feb 02, 2003, 07:04
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I read in an article today in the paper that GW Bush wants to "overahaul" labor laws , saying that the OT laws as they are written are "antiquated". The jist of the story is that OT should not be available to as many workers as it is. For instance, the story went, an engineer making 80K should NOT be eligible for OT.
I am starting to wonder about this guy.. doesnt he have enought to worry about? I am assuming now that he has no intention of re-election.
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It's my opinion that his statement doesn't mean that companies expect their employee not to work overtime but work it for free. Here where I work, if you are salary and overtime is approved you get straight time for hours in excess of 44/week. Where my husband works, you can and are expected wo work whenever needed and you are still only going to get your base pay. No extra. Straight or time & 1/2. For some reason the CEO's of these big companies think that at the $70K - $75K/year, you should not get overtime or straight time for excess hours worked. It's really great that these decissions do not effect their 7 figure incomes.
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the laws can be rewritten however it is wanted... they get rewritten alla time anyways... but the one econonmical law that cannont be rewritten states "yinze gets what ya pay fer". peolple will give time to a point, after that they won't give time, effort, care, whatever. that's when the almighty dollar steps back into the equation, generally lots bigger bucks than what is mandated by law.
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although slo go has a good assumption, the money that steps back into the equation does not fully compensated the demands required by the employer. this is old news, most utilities have been doing this for the last 10 years. sure they give u a raise but they demand more and feel smug about getting you for a few more dollars on the hour. dont forget with higher pay comes higher taxes. usually those working for utilities are slaves to the system.. kids, car, house loan, or kids in college, or divorce payments etc... most will do anything to stay where they are, so they grease up for the employer.. just the facts ma'm.
thats why so many of us are contractors. we get paid by the hour....
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I read in an article today in the paper that GW Bush wants to "overahaul" labor laws , saying that the OT laws as they are written are "antiquated". The jist of the story is that OT should not be available to as many workers as it is. For instance, the story went, an engineer making 80K should NOT be eligible for OT.
I am starting to wonder about this guy.. doesnt he have enought to worry about? I am assuming now that he has no intention of re-election.
I don't want to put this in the password protected zone but you're just now starting to wonder about this guy. The saving grace in all this is that there are still enough union contracts out there that won't be renewed untill G.W. is gone and they supersece the labor law. If it's in the contract that OT will be paid, it's PAID! [smiley=ylsuper.gif]
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First off, I think the law would be looney. However, just 'cause the law says they don't have to pay doesn't mean the groups working with them will agree to it. Law of supply and demand. Some union contracts now get benefits not mandated by law so what would be the difference. Maybe more unions. Bush should really think on this because more unions isn't what big business wants. Most staff jobs are salary anyway and don't get paid overtime as it is, right. The poorest workers would still get OT if I understand the proposed law correctly.
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Seems like Union busting and killing off labor has once again reared its ugly head. None of you seem to remember a bill introduced by Republicans(under Clinton) making 80 hours over a two week period the base period for straight time. So if you worked 80 hours in one week and nothing the next, you got 80 hours of regular time. Imagine the money that would be saved in an outage during layoffs. I would envision all layoffs taking place every other week, to avoid paying large amounts of overtime.
Now that the GOP has control over both houses and the oval office, they are going to attempt to push this stuff down our throats again.
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I have worked the last two years in a salaried position with no paid overtime. Virtually everyone working for me far out earned me even though I worked the same kind of hours. Now due to a re-organization I at least get 1 1/4 time for OT. That seemed like a God send in my last check.
I think SloGlo has a good point though, you can only put up with so much. Even those of us utility pukes with kids in college, mortgage, etc. That's why they call it work. :-/
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Seems simple to me:
No Checkee, No Techee
[smiley=scream.gif]
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All I know is that I'm in the middle of an outage (7/12s of OT)and desperatly NEED a 6 beer evening but can only stay awake for 2 of em.