State Overtime Law, ‘Prevailing Wage’ Jobs

Re “State Panel Moves to Relax Overtime Law Amid Protest,” Jan. 25: The proposed change in the law will not help workers balance the demands of work and families. If the new law helped employees, it would require employers to give employees the right to earn time-and-a-half comp time by working over eight hours, to receive time which they then could “cash in” to attend to a family need.

As to benefits for the employees in regards to child care, children would not be in child care any less time in a week. The longer hours in a day in child care would cause significant stress on the child and parent, as well as not leave any time for the parent’s and child’s relationship after such long hours apart. If the Republicans are for strengthening families, they are not showing it in this move.

VIRGINIA TUNKS, Teacher

Los Angeles Family School

The true reality of this proposal is summed up in the last paragraphs, when the flooring contractor states that he can work his workers as long as it takes to get the job done and when they reach 40 hours send them home. The workers work the same amount as before, but make less money, and the owner reaps all the benefits by not having to pay overtime.

Over the last couple of years the state has prosecuted many contractors for not paying overtime, and most have been in the low-paying garment industry. Not one was targeted for allowing employees the opportunity to make doctor’s appointments. Instead they were prosecuted for working their employees long hours every day and not properly compensating them.

ROLAND LUCHINI

Santa Ana

Our tax dollars at work? The most outstanding problem presented in “Contractors Accused of Labor Law Violations” (Jan. 26) was that a carpenter on a “prevailing wage” job earns $22.89 per hour while the same carpenter would earn between $7 and $12 per hour on a conventionally financed job. The only difference is the source of funds. You get the same personnel and the same quality of work.

Why are public funds being wasted because union contractors can’t compete on an equal basis with nonunion contractors?

How many more publicly financed projects could be completed for the same amount of money if non-prevailing wages were allowed to be paid to workers who are very willing to do the work for the $7 to $12 per hour they earn on projects financed with nonpublic funds?

STEVE GATS

Sherman Oaks