BlogWood: MT Archives

Get on the phone

As the Florida Legislature gears up to make the voter mandated Florida minimum wage law as weak and employer friendly as possible, legislators in Washington are debating the federal minimum wage. Senator Santorum (link may not be safe for work) of Pennsylvania has introduced an amendment in which

the 40-hour work week would be abolished and companies would not have to pay overtime if they cut hours the next week. The proposal is called "flex time", but workers would have no say in the matter. Their hours could be rearranged, upsetting child care and other weekly routines, and companies would no longer have the deterrent of having to pay overtime as a way to encourage giving workers a regular weekly schedule.

Banning State Minimum Wage Laws: But here's a kicker from a GOP supposedly dedicated to states rights. Santorum's bill would ban states from requiring employers to pay tipped workers with a guaranteed wage. Employers could pay tipped workers nothing and force them to live off tips, while states would be preempted from creating a higher wage standard for tipped workers.

Atrios is on the case, and suggests that we

Call Senator Santorum's office and ask him why he thinks people who earn tips should work for free. You could also ask if, say, this provision applies to people in the dog grooming industry.

Washington, D.C. Office:
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-6324