HARKIN OVERTIME AMENDMENT -- SENATE UPDATE

August 4, 2003

We have received and commend to your attention the following message from the United States Chamber of Commerce Labor Relations and Employee Benefits Committee. Talking points are attached.

To:         Members of the U.S. Chamber's Labor Relations and Employee Benefits Committees

From:     Randy Johnson, Vice President for Labor, Immigration & Employee Benefits, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Subject: Overtime Amendment in the Senate

Date:     August 1, 2003

It still appears highly likely that Senator Harkin (D-IA) will be offering an amendment to the Department of Labor appropriations spending bill to prohibit the Department from proceeding with its rulemaking on revising the Part 541 regulations on the "white collar" exemptions. The Senate offices which we believe need to hear more from the business community in opposition to the Harkin amendment are listed below. Again, I request that you contact your Senators on this issue particularly if you have any relationships with the targeted Senators. For those of you with law firms, I would ask that you look at the targeted list and see if you have any clients in those states who you could contact and ask them to make calls. Talking points are again attached. Thank you.

Specter
Stevens
Murkowski
Chafee
Snowe
Jeffords
DeWine
Voinovich
Nelson
Campbell