PascA 2______________________________________________ _£*!* JJortlattò (©bseruer_____________________ August 2s, 2004 Federal Overtime Rules Now in Place Oregon labor commissioner vows to protect workers O regon Labor C om m issioner Dan G ardner believes O re g o n ’s superior w orker protections will shield O regon w orkers from many o f the adverse im pacts from new federal overtim e rules. “ Luckily, here in O regon we already have superior legal protections in place in many cases regarding w orkers and overtim e rules,” Gardner said. "The good new s is that in those cases O regon’s rules are still the law." In addition to the cases w here ex ist ing O regon laws already favor w orkers, som e o f the new rules will benefit O r egon workers. G ardner estim ated that as many as 75,000 O regonians m ight now qualify for overtim e pay under the new federal salary standard that says a w orker m ust earn $455 a week or m ore to be co n sid ered exem pt from overtim e. The exem ptions from overtim e, com monly referred to as the “w hite co llar” exem ptions, are for individuals “en gaged in adm inistrative, executive or professional w ork.” U nder law, em ploy ers who are subject to both state and federal law m ust apply the standard most beneficial to the em ployee. G ardner called the federal effort an other case o f “ sm oke and m irrors” and said the resulting confusion over the new rules may hide negative effects upon both em ployers and workers. “ It is clear the federal governm ent has failed to do what it set out do and Sandy Williams, a member of the American Federation o f Government Employ ees, marches during a protest over new overtime regulations outside Labor Department headquarters in Washington, D.C. Monday. (AP photo) sim plify, clarify and b etter organize the regulations," G ardner said. “ Instead, w hat we now have is com plicated and confusing and potentially ch ao tic.” The confusion m ight result in years o f costly litigation for em ployers and also m eans that the state m ust decide w hether to change its laws to reflect the new rules. G ardner said that despite the expected confusion, he intends to take a clear stance on b eh alf o f O regon w orkers. “ I d o not in ten d to allow th is c o n fu sio n to clo u d my p o sitio n reg ard in g p r o te c tio n o f O re g o n ’s w o rk e rs ,” G a rd n e r said . “ In ca se s w here it is u n c le a r w hich set o f ru les b e tte r p ro te c ts w o rk e rs, I in te n d to ex e rc ise my a u th o rity as L ab o r C o m m issio n e r to look o u t fo r the in te re sts o f O regon w o rk e rs.” Bush Campaign Sued for Discrimination Voting Intimidation Probe Wanted (AP) - An African Ameri- Cheney ’04 of racial discrimi- paign field director, says she can is accusing the Florida nation in a federal lawsuit. was fired from her job, which Republican Party and Bush- Nadia Naffe, a former cam- she held from August 2003 to April of this year, after she complained about being as signed to work with black organizations, events and is sues. Naffe, 25, of Tampa, was the only black field di The way rector at the time. She said on your she was told, “You under to predict your / ' b . a c S h ta e rt lo r’s degrc stand your people.” with university trapse C0Uf, After refusing the assign L au n c h a c a re e r is to ments, Naffe said she was one- and two-year cwMicai k called insubordinate and “not it! , a team player.” The lawsuit says she contacted the U.S. Equal Employment Opportu U p g ra d e yo u r jo b s k ills with nity Commission, and was continuing education. soon after fired. D e v e lo p yo u r “Instead of true conserva e m p lo y e e s wit»-- on ■■ tism, she found herself faced workforce framing with discrimination and intol Enjoy N o n C re d it erance. And instead of com C la s s e s ‘or W^long learning personal deve'opm on’ passion, she found retalia P ortland a tion,” said one of N affe’s C om m unity www.pcc.edu law yers, C yrus M ehri of C o llege 503-977-4519 Washington. best future create Lawmakers say minority community targeted Florida’s three black repre sentatives in Congress, called on U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to conduct an immedi ate investigation into reports of voter intimidation in Orlando’s minority community. Rep. Alcee Hastings and others cited recent reports of Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers “visit ing” voters, the majority of whom were black and elderly, to investigate voter fraud alle gations that arose during the Orlando mayoral election this past March. “Injustice and voter intimi dation are again showing their ugly faces in Florida,” writes R ep resen tativ es H astings, C orrine Brow n, K endrick Meek and others. The recent reports of voter intimidation come in the wake of Florida Secretary of State u s b a n k .c o m 4 < \o,oo°po i i S - ^ P Ö C r \n mirice column Linnen fin ii'. fenile'.', ap/nmieli In reality based '.ubject'.! Dear Deanna! APP' o bi nificantly flawed. “Property ownership, lit eracy tests, poll taxes, road blocks, felon purges, and now in tim id a tio n of the elderly. When does it end? We had hoped that our children Dear Deanna! Real People. Real Advice I have a live in boyfriend that doesn’t work. He told me he wants to be a bachelor and move back home with his mom and other things I d id n 't want to hear because I love him. I try to let him know I’m there for him and other good stuff, but nothing works. He says he’s not ready for a serious relationship at age 21. Should I keep trying or just let him leave? -A nonym ous; On Line Reader from voting. They can’t stop us, so now they’re trying to scare us. Well, it’s not going to work. It’s going to take the National Guard to stop us from voting this November, and you can quote me on that.” Dear Deanna! M y b o y f r ie n d ’s c o n t r o l lin g m other has a problem with our relationship because I’m 50 and h e’s 36. He lives at hom e but plans to m ove in w ith me and w e’ll m arry later. She has made things seem negative to the fam ily and is now trying to push him to get a place and marry me now. T his is not our plan but I know he abides by her rules. —U nknow n; Tam pa, Fla. Dear Unknown: Your future m other-in-law thinks y o u ’re too close to her age to be dating her son. The thought o f her baby fornicating and shack ing with an older w om an is also a slap in her face. Y ou’reoldenough to know that a m other on a m is sion c a n ’t be defeated. Talk with her on a personal level to help her adjust to the age difference. You need to do the right thing co n cerning your “ m o m m a’s boy" before this destroys the fam ily and your relationship. I’m not sure how to let my boy friend in prison know that I’m leav Dear Anonymous: ing for college. I really care about Your young boyfriend w ants to him, but I want to enjoy fun times of sow his wild oats. Y ou’ll make the my life as I complete my education situ a tio n w o rse by try in g to and ju st be young and single. I’ve change his mind and force him to always wanted to be a news anchor and I honestly don’t see how he fits stay in the relationship. At his age, he should be finishing co l into the picture. -G ro w n Teen lege or w orking instead o f play A sk D eanna is w ritten by D eanna ager; Toledo, Ohio ing mind gam es and running home M. W rite A sk D eanna! Em ail: Dear Grown: to m om m a. Respect his honesty a skd ea n n a l @yahoo.com o r 264 If you have the opportunity to get and send him on his merry way S. L aC ienega Blvd. Suite 1283 an education, meet people and pur because y o u ’re ju st as young and Beverly Hills, CA 90211. Website: sue your dreams, then go for it. still have room to sam ple life and w w w .askdeanna.com O bviously he d id n 't care much its m any offerings. ’c ^ o rtla n h (©bscruer E s ta b lis h e d 1 9 7 0 P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer, P 0 B o x 3 1 3 7 , USPS 959-680 4 7 4 7 NE Martin Luther King. Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 C harles H. W ashington M ic h a e l L e ig h to n R e p o r t e r : Jaymee R. Cuti D is t r ib u t io n M a n a g er : M a r k W a s h in g to n C r e a t iv e D ir e c t o r : P a u l N e u fe ld t O f f ic e M a n a g e r : K a th y L in d e r E iu tor - in -C h ic f . P ublisher : E d it o r Any way you add it, this is one great deal! would grow up in a time when their right to vote would never be at risk. Apparently, that day has not yet come,” said Rep. Hastings. “This is just another example in the long list of efforts to stop black folk The recent reports o f voter intimidation come in the wake o f Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood's announcement to scrap the state's plan to remove more than 48,000 suspected felons from Florida’s voting rolls. about the relationship if he com mit ted a crime that removed him from society. Be honest with your jailed boyfriend and let him know your goalsdon’tincludehim. lfhe doesn’t understand, then too bad because he made his life choices and you have to make yours. You do the math. 4.90X 1 This rate is only good for a limited time! D on’t miss this w indow o f opportunity! Glenda Hood’s announcement to scrap the state’s plan to remove more than 48,000 sus pected felons from Florida’s voting rolls. 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