02.11.04

Boeing Responds to Cantwell’s Outrage: Veterans to Receive Overtime Pay

WASHINGTON, D.C . - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell received word from the Boeing Company that they will not exempt military veterans from overtime pay based solely on their military experience. Boeing's response comes a week after Cantwell blasted the aeronautical giant for pushing for the Department of Labor's proposed rules to exempt military veterans from overtime pay based solely on their military experience.

"I am encouraged by Boeing's response," Cantwell said. "By playing around with these overtime rules, the Department of Labor would actually punish veterans and their families for military service. It's not only ridiculous, it's unpatriotic and our veterans deserve better."

Cantwell's letters were sent in response to a January 29 article in the Washington Post citing a Boeing official's urging of Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao to adopt proposed rules that would count some veterans with military training as "learned professionals," thereby exempting them from national overtime rules. Boeing's response to Cantwell makes no mention of their letter to Chao, but does promise never to deny overtime pay to employees based on their military training.

In Cantwell's January 29th letter to the Boeing Company's Senior Vice President Rudy DeLeon, she wrote, "I do not think this is an appropriate manner by which to cut labor costs. The men and women of our armed services should be rewarded, not penalized, for their service to our country."

She added, "Any attempt to deprive these men and women of benefits that they are otherwise entitled to receive, including overtime pay, due solely to their military backgrounds is profoundly disappointing."

Boeing later agreed with Cantwell and assured her in writing that, "No Boeing employee should lose overtime pay based only on his or her military service."

Cantwell's letter to the Department of Labor expressed outrage at the proposed rule change, which could deny an estimate 8 million workers overtime pay.

Wrote Cantwell, "I strongly oppose any changes to these rules that would deny overtime to American workers, and, at a minimum, call on this Administration to unequivocally protect the right to overtime for employees who have served in the military by exempting them from this new regulation."