Overtime/Comp Time?

I work at a job that is short staffed just like anywhere else. They have alot of events booked on weekends, Holidays, or just flat can't do there job in 40 hours. So therefore peole are getting alot of overtime. Well the employer MAKES us take our pay for the hours over 40 in COMP Time. I would like to make it Law that the employee has the option to take it Comp time or Over time pay? Not right that they force us to work OT then tell us how we get paid for it! your talking about people who make less than 23,000 a year? PS. I work for United States Public School System.