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TRSA Leaders Take Legislative Agenda to Capitol Hill

Members of Congress visited support labor-related initiatives

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Earlier this month, leaders of the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) took the textile services industry’s legislative agenda to five members of Congress, who warmly received the contingent of launderers, the association reports.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) was particularly vocal in his support for the association’s stances on labor-related regulatory initiatives, says TRSA.

Johnson, a former manufacturing executive and user of TRSA member services, empathized with the group’s explanation of the likely negative impact on the industry of federal regulatory initiatives that:

  • Limit the overtime pay exemption to higher-paid managers, enabling those who earn less than the increased threshold to receive such pay;
  • Remove an employer’s independent control of pay and benefits for its entire workforce when any employees are assigned on a daily basis to customer locations (joint employer); and
  • Prompt more individuals hired on a contract basis to be re-classified as employees, requiring their clients to become their employers.

The Wisconsin senator pledged to address these measures, according to the association, although this will be difficult in light of President Obama’s unwillingness to sign legislation that would curb them.

TRSA expressed great disappointment regarding expansion of overtime pay, which would drastically impair the industry’s ability to create jobs and cost-effectively serve customers.

Members of the House of Representatives with whom the TRSA contingent visited were similarly receptive to the association’s concerns.

Other issues discussed with the legislators included TRSA’s support for redefining full-time work as 40 hours a week under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) instead of 30, which would control business expenses and make it less costly to give part-timers more hours; and setting depreciation schedules for capital expenditures years ahead of time so businesses can better time these large purchases in light of their tax implications.

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