Veterans Lose Overtime Pay Under Bush Scheme

America's 26 million veterans are on the list of those who could be hurt by the Bush overtime pay take-away.

Buried in one paragraph in the middle of the proposed new overtime rules is a change that explicitly mandates "training in the armed forces" could be the basis for an employer to decide some workers shouldn't get overtime pay.

Bush Labor Department officials so far have either talked around or out-right lied about how the overtime pay take-away would impact America's military veterans. But Bush's campaign contributors are celebrating this insult to the men and women who defended our freedom as one-time members of our armed forces. Several big corporations with ties to Bush wrote letters supporting the overtime pay take-away for veterans.


How does the overtime pay take-away target veterans? Here is the exact quote from the Bush overtime pay take-away proposal: "Exemption [from overtime pay rights] is also available to employees in such professions who have substantially the same knowledge level as the degreed employees, but who attained such knowledge through a combination of work experience, training in the armed forces, attending a technical school, attending a community college or other intellectual instruction." (Federal Register Vol. 68, No. 61. 541.301.d)

Even in the technical jargon of employment law, the intention and impact is clear: If you received training in the military (or, really, any training) you could lose your right to earn overtime pay.