Fair Labor Standards Amendments

(Measure indefinitely postponed in Senate, H.R. 3744 passed in lieu)

Fair Labor Standards Amendments - Raises the minimum wage to $2.65 an hour for calendar year 1978, $2.90 an hour for calendar year 1979, $3.15 an hour for calendar year 1980, and $3.40 an hour after December 31, 1980.

Makes such wage rates applicable to agricultural workers and to employees covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act by the 1966 amendments. Provides increases in the minimum wage rates for employees in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Reduces the tip credit from the present 50 percent of the minimum wage to 30 percent of the minimum wage, effective January 1, 1981, by reducing the maximum tip credit by five percent each year.

Provides individual employees the rights to sue if they have been discriminated against for filing a complaint or otherwise seeking to enforce their rights under the Act, or for cooperating with the Secretary of Labor in enforcing the Act.

Exempts from the minimum wage provisions of the Act organized camps or religious or nonprofit education centers.

Provides for simplified application forms to be used by small business that want to hire four students, or less.

Permits waiver of the minimum wage between June 1 and October 15 for children under 12, but not less than 10, in hand-harvested agriculture, under certain circumstances. Stipulates that such waiver may not exceed a period of eight weeks in any one calendar year.

Increases from four to six the number of full-time students which an employer may hire at 85 percent of the prevailing minimum wage rate. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to provide exemptions to such limitation.

Requires that hotel, motel, and restaurant employees receive overtime compensation for employment: (1) in excess of 44 hours per week in calendar year 1978; and (2) in excess of 40 hours per week in all other years.

Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a study to determine social and economic characteristics of workers affected by the minimum wage.

Exempts an enterprise with an annual gross volume of sales of less than $275,000 from the provisions of this Act beginning July 1, 1978. Increases the dollar volume test of such exemption to $325,000, beginning July 1, 1980.