[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 36 (Wednesday, March 19, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H1162]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 REFUSE TO SUPPORT LESS PAY FOR WORKERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida [Ms. Brown] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1 is a disgrace to American 
workers. In the last several days workers from all over my district 
have come to Washington to ask me to vote against this bill. Those 
working constituents do not want their pay reduced by a Congress out of 
touch with the American work force.
  Let me repeat that. Those working constituents do not want their pay 
reduced by a Congress out of touch with the American work force.
  Mr. Speaker, a vote for this bill is a vote for a pay cut for the 
workers.
  H.R. 1, the Working Family Flexibility Act of 1997, is also known as 
the pay reduction act. Today millions of workers depend on overtime pay 
just to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. How cruel 
to consider this overtime pay as optional. Today too many people depend 
on overtime pay to survive. Their survival is not optional.
  Mr. Speaker, it is employers, not employees, who get greater 
flexibility from this bill. This bill does not contain necessary 
safeguards to ensure that the employee decision to accept comptime is 
truly voluntary. The overtime provision in the Fair Labor Standards Act 
protects workers from excess demands, from overtime work, and by 
requiring a premium pay for overtime provides an incentive for 
businesses to create additional jobs.
  There is no doubt that the American workers prefer pay for their 
overtime work instead of comptime. A recent poll by Peter Hart found 
that the American worker prefers pay for their overtime instead of 
comptime by a margin of 64 to 22 percent. Unfortunately too many 
workers do not get paid for overtime. The Employment Policy Foundation, 
a think tank supported by employers, estimates that workers loose $19 
billion a year in overtime pay due to violations of the Fair Labor 
Standards Act. Why should we give managers more control and give 
workers less money? A worker who was forced by management to take comp-
time instead of overtime pay is being required to take a voluntary pay 
cut.
  Mr. Speaker, I refuse to support less pay for workers.

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