John,

Over the past few weeks, a historic push for economic justice has been taking place in Topeka, Kansas.

Workers at Frito-Lay went on strike for nearly three weeks, pushing to end 12-hour “suicide shifts,” forced 84-hour workweeks, and working conditions that have led to heart attacks, electrocution, and even death. 

This is not complicated. There should be no forced overtime in America.

While the workers stayed on strike for as long as they could, they ended it after getting guarantees that they would receive one day off per week. Meaning they will work six days a week instead of seven.

Nothing says a Second Gilded Age like this being a “labor win.”

It’s good that Frito-Lay workers got a contract guaranteeing them one day off each week, but it’s not good enough for us to stop fighting for their rights.

Bottom line: There should be no mandatory, or forced, overtime in America. 

Employer inflexibility is a huge concern for all workers, including those who have elderly relatives to care for or who are single parents.

Congress must act to ensure that there is no forced overtime by passing legislation that will set a maximum number of hours employers can require their employees to work each week. Join me and DFA as we stand in solidarity with Frito-Lay workers by demanding Congress end forced overtime now.

Right now, there are no federal laws that set a maximum number of hours businesses can force their employees to work. The only requirement is that they must pay time and a half after 40 hours, and even that has many exceptions.

This means large corporations, like Frito-Lay, can pay extremely low wages then force their workers into mandatory overtime, still paying them paltry wages.

The new contract gives the workers just one day off a week, but only if they don’t take time off the other six days — including if they refuse to work forced overtime.

Think about how ridiculous it is that workers had to go on strike so they could not work 12-hour days, seven days a week, but instead 12-hour days, six days a week.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Will you add your name now to demand Congress make mandatory overtime illegal?

Congress has the power to end forced overtime and they must use it.

Let’s work together to pressure Congress into ending forced overtime without delay.

Robert Reich
Former Secretary of Labor
Co-Founder, Inequality Media Civic Action