Ending Overtime Abuse

So the Obama administration finally did something to end the abuse of salaried workers. The President finally changed the rules on overtime so that salaried workers can earn more for the time that they put in on the job.

Overtime for hourly workers means that after forty hours they earn time and a half. When I worked in the restaurant industry years ago, this overtime was the difference in making ends meet or losing my life to working two jobs.

Now salaried people can see their wages go up to almost $50,000 if they work overtime.

And that is a good thing because I know many salaried people that are working 50 to 60 hours a week and getting nothing for it. Supposedly they make it up in the weeks that they work under 40 hours, but few of them actually work under 40 hours.

Back in the late 1980s my one manager heard us complaining about how poorly we were paid compared to management and the higher ups in the corporation. So he kept track of his hours one week, and it was a very busy week. For the $3.85 I made per hour of work, he made $2.65 an hour. (And the wait staff made even less than him. Tips don't always get tehm up to minimum wage.)

And in all things that the capitalist presidents do, there has to be a down side to it.

After all – look at the “Affordable Care Act” that was supposed to help end the health insurance crisis in this country. What did the Obama Administration do? Basically forced people to buy insurance from private health care corporations. It increased their profits and used our tax dollars to do it. This was good for us because? And there are still millions without health insurance that need it. And communities without access to hospitals and health clinics. A single payer, Medicare-for-all system funded by a revision in the Social Security tax code would have solved the insurance aspect of that problem better.

So, I am waiting to see who gets screwed over by the change in overtime rules. Obama serves the capitalists well when he does something. I'm waiting for someone to pull the curtain back.

I know that it changes nothing for teachers. That was to be expected.

One change that I did notice was in an article in the Business section of the Buffalo News. In order to avoid paying overtime, some businesses are going to be hiring more workers. So the workers that are on salary might not even be able to benefit financially from this change.

Then again, hiring more workers means that unemployment will go down. This will give workers some leverage against the capitalist owners of businesses because the workers will tend to want to go where they are paid better and receive better benefits. So there might be some increase in these areas.

But I'm still waiting for the curtain to be pulled back. There is always something that benefits the capitalist class. It just has not been found yet.

So let us cheer and celebrate the fact that salaried workers can now at least receive overtime wages. No more being pushed for hours beyond 40 for nothing extra in their pockets.

Striking against Verizon

Verizon workers went on strike to protect the benefits that they have worked long and hard for.

Who are they striking against?  Wall Street, capitalism,  and the ever growing demand for profit.

The front lines of the working class are the CWA and other unions that are fighting to protect the incomes that they have earned building the company and keeping it solvent.

The overpaid and under worked CEO wants the workers to give up their salary and benefits so that he can give himself a pay raise some time down the road.

We must support the unionized workers and say (a firm and resounding) NO.

NO to wage cuts for the workers.

NO to insurance cuts and premium increases on their insurance.

NO to retirement benefit cuts.

If you look at it properly,  the current CEO and administration (presidents, vice-presidents, etc) did not even build the company.  They came on later and padded their salaries and benefits at the expense of the workers.

They are also the ones that build over priced office buildings that cost the company dearly in profits.

They are the ones that buy the expensive mahogany desks,  nib pens, and other overpriced luxuries that do nothing for the company.

If there are salary cuts,  then take it out of their (the administrative) salaries.
How many telephone lines do they service?
How many houses do they connect?
Do they go out in the crappy weather to service someone's lines when a phone is  not working?

If there are to be benefits cuts, then cut their (the administrative) salaries.
After all,  how much insurance do you need for a paper cut?

If there are retirement benefit cuts,  take it off the top.
Regular workers have to fund their own retirements,  why not the top?
Who are they that they deserve something special?

And the non-unionized workers need to stop picking up the slack for the strikers.
All they are proving is that fewer workers can do all the work that the striking workers normally do.
So fewer workers doing more work for the same money is a recipe for a workplace disaster.
Think about it - they are slicing their own throats.

So we need to support the CWA and other unions that are striking.

An injury against one is an injury against all.

Update:  I would like to add the IBEW to the list  of unions that are on strike.  For some reason I could not remember them when I was hashing this out in 5 minutes.