The information on this page concerns trucker wages and the U.S. Senate.
Truckers’ Voices Are Needed Now!
From Allen Smith via Facebook (with slight editing)
Update: Fischer and Denham may be pushed through Senate FAA voting. Trucking industry and government’s contempt and disregard for the value of the professional trucker continues. We understand that the Senate and Mitch McConnell want to move quickly on their version of the FAA Reauthorization bill, bypassing normal procedure. We’re at the last leg of a 2 year fight. The ATA has pulled out all the stops on this one. This will be the last chance to end this. This is a battle Truckers can not afford to lose.
The only way to win this is with a surge of calls.
If you are reading this CALL 202-224-3121 or your U.S. Senators’ offices directly.
Here is an example of what to say when calling your Senators:
I’d like to speak with someone concerning S.1405, the Senate FAA Reauthorization bill, which is to be voted on within the next few days.
I want to make you aware of language, added as amendments, that I’m extremely opposed to in both the Senate and the House version of the FAA Reauthorization bills.
I understand that the Senate may be voting on either or both amendments, the Denham Amendment in the House bill and the Fischer amendment in the Senate bill.
I am opposed to the “meal and rest break language” in the Fischer Amendment because it preempts states rights which protect piece work wages for employees such as truckers. This amendment would allow for another new Federal law targeting truckers, excluding truckers from state labor protections, just as the FLSA exempts truckers from overtime. It would set a precedent saying that truckers are not deemed worthy of any labor law protections which are offered to all other citizens.
I am also against the House Denham Amendment recently passed in their version of the FAA Reauthorization bill, H.R. 4. This trucker wage theft language in the Denham Amendment preempts state laws by allowing the Federal Government to impose how truckers are to be paid (piece work wages only — such as cents per mile) and relieves their employers (motor carriers) of any further wage obligation.
Mainly, the Denham amendment would allow for another new law which states that employers (the carriers) will not be legally obligated to pay truck drivers for their hours, regardless of how many hours they work and that truckers are exempt from any state laws which assert otherwise.
I am against both of these amendments as they both show the industry and government’s contempt and disregard for the value of the professional trucker.
- For Reference Purposes Regarding the FAA Bills and Denham/Fischer AmendmentsS.1405 – 115th Congress (2017-2018): Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017
(not yet passed and 0 amendments as of 5/11/2018, but subject to change at any time)H.R.4 – 115th Congress (2017-2018): FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018
(passed 393 to 13)H.Amdt.563 to H.R.4 – 115th Congress (2017-2018) [aka “Denham Amendment”]
(passed 222 to 193)Contact information for U.S. Senator Deb Fischer: on Congress.gov and on Senate.gov.
Note: This article was originally written and published on May 11, 2018, by Vicki Simons.
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