NRF Key Votes Bipartisan Bill that Restores the Traditional 40-Hour Workweek
WASHINGTON, 2015-1-7 — /EPR Retail News/ — The National Retail Federation today expressed its strong support for H.R. 30, the Save American Workers Act, a bill that would restore the traditional 40-hour workweek standard for health benefits under the Affordable Care Act. NRF sent a letter to each and every House office stating that all votes related to the bill would be considered “key votes” and factored into its annual legislative scorecard.
“Restoring the traditional 40-hour workweek would benefit employers and employees,” NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. “It would return power to employers to establish and maintain health care benefit eligibility standards, protect full-time employees and benefit hourly employees with more hours, more income and greater opportunity to advance to full-time employment.”
The bipartisan bill was introduced earlier this week by Reps. Todd Young, R-In. and Dan Lipinski, D-Ill. along with their colleagues, Reps. Pete Olson, R-Texas., Mike Kelly, R-Pa. and Tim Walberg, R-Minn. The bill, which would repeal the ACA’s definition of a 30-hour workweek, is expected to come to the House floor for a vote during the inaugural week of the 114th Congress.
“The Save American Workers Act is a commonsense piece of legislation that will restore an established workforce precedent and protect business owners and their employees,” French said. “The Affordable Care Act is in serious need of revision and reform, and we urge Congress to further that process by approving this bipartisan piece of legislation to restore the traditional definition of a 40-hour workweek.”
A corresponding Senate bill, authored by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine. and Joe Donnelly, D-In., will likely will be introduced this week.
NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s This is Retail campaign highlights the industry’s opportunities for life-long careers, how retailers strengthen communities, and the critical role that retail plays in driving innovation. www.nrf.com
Stephen E. Schatz
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