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To: Computer Professionals Paid by the Hour in California
From: National Writers Union
March 17, 2000
PLEASE FORWARD this alert to other interested professionals
(If you are not affected, please forward this alert to someone who is)
ALERT: A new California law requires overtime pay for all professionals paid on an hourly basis, but temp agencies are trying to block it.
As of March 1st, a new law known as "AB60" went into effect that requires that computer professionals who are paid on an hourly basis receive time-and-half for working more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours per week. This includes all of the hourly computer industry technical writers and other professionals, including those who work through temp agencies and staffing firms.
Those of us who work as hourly temps are usually excluded from the computer industry's highly touted benefits. This overtime pay is one of the few tangible benefits available to people who work as hourly temporary professionals.
But the temp agencies, recruiters, and jobbers are moving to block implementation of AB60 by pressuring the Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) to issue regulations that overturn the law. They are also sponsoring legislation to repeal AB60. The agencies claim that we want more overtime hours and that AB60 would hurt us because clients will reduce the amount of overtime they require us to work. But most computer professionals want less overtime, not more. Most of us want time to have a social and family life. It is the agencies, who receive 30%-50% of every dollar paid for every hour we work who do not want any reduction in the number of overtime hours.
Note that industry professionals paid monthly salaries are not covered by this new law. Nor are independent contractors paid on a 1099-basis. Another reason the temp agencies are opposed to overtime pay is their fear that it will encourage clients to bypass the agencies and resume using freelance professionals on an independent contractor basis.
If you support your legal right to overtime pay, please take a stand.
YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED
Please email your opinion to the IWC. This must be done IMMEDIATELY before their March 31st hearing. Please send a copy of your message to the National Writers Union and Governor Gray Davis who appoints the IWC commissioners.
IWC Email
NWU Email
Gray Davis Email
For more information:
NWU Web Site: www.nwu.org/bite/ab60home.htm
IWC Web Site: www.dir.ca.gov/iwc
Text of AB60:
www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bi...90721_chap
tered.html
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Anonymous Poster personally sent a response like this:
Dear Sirs:
Recently, it has come to my attention that various
legal and professional organizations have been misrepresenting
the interests of the computer consultant/programmer.
I SUPPORT the restoration of overtime pay in California (AB60 ).
As an hourly contractor, I often find that companies are very cavalier in the way they treat their hourly employees. I have even seen people let go for refusing to work more than 40 or even 50 hour weeks.
Do not be swayed by contracting agencies and their like.
Technical employees SUPPORT AB60.
Sincerely,
Contributed by Anonymous poster on Computer Consultants BBS
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