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LEAD_IN BY HOST: Representative Sheila Jackson Lee came back to town to join union workers as they all oppose a change to overtime pay on Monday. Here's KPFT's Eric Thompson, with more. STORY: Scores of workers organized by the AFL-CIO Council joined with US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee on Monday to protest U.S. House Bill 1119. "To the leadership of the House, that the working families of Houston Texas are demanding that the bill stands down forever [ambient sounds of cheers and clapping]. So though they are conspiring and meeting as we stand here today, trying to get that bill back on the floor ..." Titled the "Family Time Flexibility Act," the bill would change the practice of what is called "overtime pay." Workers would no longer receive the current hourly wage of one and half times regular wage for each hour worked over forty. Employers would be released from the obligation to pay their workers money for overtime. Instead, companies could compensate workers with a promise of future, unpaid, time off. Member of Union Local 100 for Houston ISD employees, Oral Fitzsimmons describes the challenges school district employees already face in collecting overtime pay. "We've been talking about overtime issues here and here in our Union Local 100 represents school district employees here in Harris county, especially in HISD. And later this summer we're going to have to sue the school district because they have thousands of people working overtime and not paying them. So this kind of bill that we're talking about here today is really one of the problems we have here in Houston. It's that the employers don't want to pay this overtime, a lot of them just don't ever pay it, like HISD does." Opposition to the bill has caused it to be withdrawn, according to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee. Lee says the Republican Controlled House has temporarily pulled HR 1119 in the face of opposition from many groups. This is the second time that Republicans have had to retract Bill 1119 from a vote. Harris County AFL-CIO President, Dale Wortham, cautions workers that will be affected by the "Family Time Flexibility Act" to act now. "Our listeners need to realize that there is an attack on working people in this country. And they disguise it under cute little names of 'Family Flexibility Leave Act,' which is what this is. Flexibility sounds good. Pay close attention to what is happening. Call your congressional representative. Tell them you want more than just a stipend on the tax credit and tell them you wasn't to keep your overtime." Eric Thompson, KPFT News, Houston. E-mail Eric Thompson at indymedia_eric_s_thompson@hotmail.com . This story was broadcast on June 11, 2003.