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OWENS BLASTS BUSH-BACKED
“BAIT AND SWITCH” ON OVERTIME PAY

Washington, DC—August 4, 2004 -- Congressman Major R. Owens today condemned the Bush Administration’s plan, announced earlier this week, to substitute flex-time and comp-time options for overtime pay,

 “On August 23, Bush Administration regulations will go into effect, robbing some 6 million American workers of their fundamental right to overtime pay,” Owens said.  “As if this were not bad enough, President Bush is now urging passage of Republican bills to replace overtime pay checks of countless other workers with “voluntary” flex-time or comp-time arrangements.”.

“This is an all-out assault on hard-working Americans and their paychecks at the same time that millions are being squeezed by rising health care and fuel prices,” Owens said.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that of 5.3 million long-term American workers who lost jobs between 2001 and 2003, 57 percent of those returning to full-time work were now earning significantly less.  

 “The situation is even more critical for unemployed Americans who have recently found new jobs.  According to the Bush Labor Department, at least one-third of them are now earning 20 percent less than they used to, making overtime pay even more vital,” Owens emphasized.  “It is time to roll-back this ‘bait and switch’ game with respect to overtime pay.”

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