GOP defections have sunk one of their party’s labor bills.
“A bill that could incentivize employers to offer more training and education programs for their workers narrowly failed on the House floor after several Republicans, including members of the party’s pro-labor wing, defected.
Lawmakers on Tuesday voted 215-209 against the Flexibility for Workers Education Act. GOP leaders such as Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) were seen discussing the bill with several hesitant members, some of whom eventually ended up voting for the bill, but weren’t able to get enough people on board.
The bill would allow employers to exclude certain voluntary training programs from the calculation of overtime hours — a change supporters say would encourage skills development by removing the disincentive of having to pay a higher rate for after-hours education. However, critics argue the bill would allow employers to avoid fairly paying workers for the time they spend in job-related training.
Republican Reps. Rob Bresnahan (Pa.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Jeff Van Drew (N.J.), Chris Smith (N.J.) and Riley Moore (W.Va.) all voted against the legislation.
‘I believe hardworking Americans should be paid for their time, including when they’re training with their employer, and I will stand against efforts to take that pay away,’ LaLota told POLITICO.”
For the rest of the story, visit Politico here.