Patsy T. Mink: “I rise in support of the Owens amendment. The bill without the amendment would be a terrible blow to millions of…”

“I rise in support of the Owens amendment. The bill without the amendment would be a terrible blow to millions of American workers who work overtime for compensation. What the Owens amendment is at least trying to do is to make it possible for the low wage worker not to be put under this pressure of having to work overtime for no compensation at all, for that promise of time off sometime in the future. The employer could require the worker to work overtime 160 hours with no promise as to when that compensatory time would be afforded the worker, not when they want to do something or they have to take care of a family problem or they want to go off on a vacation. There is absolutely nothing in H.R. 1 which gives the employee the choice, the free choice, or the decision to take this time when they need it. It is an entirely employer based bill. Therefore without the Owens amendment it seems to me that, if we are concerned about the workers earning a living, we have to support the Owens amendment.”