House GOP Transportation Bill Would Strip Workers of Pay Protections: News of the Day

Some very low-wage rail-industry jobs may soon pay even less, thanks to House Republicans. A special interest provision in their much-derided transportation bill would strip thousands of rail crew transport drivers of overtime protections provided in federal minimum wage laws. The Huffington Post reports:

Listed in the bill under the heading "Technical Correction," provision 6602 would exempt several companies who transport rail workers from their obligations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the 1938 law that guarantees basic worker rights. The carveout would allow a handful of boutique contractors to pay no overtime to their drivers who haul rail workers between worksites, often driving long distances of 300 miles or more.

“It’s outrageous that House Republicans are trying to take away overtime protections for a class of workers at the behest of a special interest,” Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Committee, said of the provision. “These workers deserve the right to overtime pay. It’s not only a matter of fairness, but also a matter of public safety.”

In response, Rep. Miller plans to offer an amendment to the bill this week that would restore the rights to these workers. His amendment will also: restore employer obligations to provide training to contract workers; restore the hazardous materials train-the-trainer program; and restore Occupational Safety and Health Administration protections for employees who handle hazardous materials, including those who work at fixed facilities where hazardous materials are transported and stored.

This is another example of House Republicans kowtowing to special interests at the expense of the working people. Further depressing the wages of these workers, this amendment will also imperil safety by putting sleep-deprived drivers on the road because, unlike the rail crews they are transporting, there are no safety requirements that limit  hours of service.