Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Majority

Jerry Ritter, House Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

House Approves Overtime for Flat-Rate Mechanics

Situation New Approach is a "Win-Win"

For Immediate Release May 4, 1998 Contact: Rep. John Cowdery at (907) 465-3879.

Juneau – Flat-rate auto mechanics statewide would be allowed to work overtime under House Bill 347, which passed the Alaska House of Representatives today.

"Under current law, the process for figuring out a flat-rate mechanic’s overtime is so complicated, shops don’t allow overtime for fear of being sued for messing up the calculation." said the bill's sponsor Rep. John Cowdery.

'Flat-rate' is a form of piece work. The mechanic is paid based on the number of hours the manual says it should take to complete a certain task. House Bill 347 spells out the conditions and methods for computing overtime, thus protecting both employer and employee. Under this bill, a flat-rate mechanic can work overtime to finish a job instead of holding the customer’s car for another day.

"Consumers will see better service and mechanics can earn more doing it this way," said Cowdery. "This is a win-win bill."

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