Be a Grassroots Co-Signer—Pass the Restoring Overtime Pay Act

From the Economic Policy Institute (http://www.epi.org/):

Go to https://epipolicycenter.org/tell-congress-pass-the-restoring-overtime-pay-act  to tell Congress: “Pass the Restoring Overtime Pay Act to raise the overtime salary threshold and boost the wages of over 8 million working people.”

Overtime pay has historically been an important factor in helping working families move into the middle class. In 1975, more than 60 percent of full-time salaried workers were automatically eligible to receive overtime pay based on their pay. Today, that number has shrunk to just 6 percent.

In 2016, President Obama fought to strengthen overtime pay regulations–raising the overtime salary threshold from $23,660 to $47,476.

This administration has abandoned the Obama-era rule and has proposed his own watered-down version, which leaves over 8 million working people behind–including 4.7 million workers without a college degree, 4.2 million women and 3.0 million people of color.

But now, we can counter the administration’s weak overtime rule.

Reps. Mark Takano (D-CA) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Patty Murray (D-WA) have introduced the Restoring Overtime Pay Act (S 1786/HR 3197), which brings back the Obama-era figures, increasing the overtime salary threshold to $51,064 in 2020.

Tell Congress to lift the wages of millions of working people. Become a grassroots co-signer of the Restoring Overtime Pay Act today!

Last month, EPI Senior Economist and Director of Policy Heidi Shierholz testified before the U.S. House of Representative about the administration’s misguided efforts to weaken overtime.

The administration, she said, is “leaving behind millions of working people who would have benefited from the 2016 rule. If the [Department of Labor] won’t act to help these workers, Congress should intervene to set the threshold to the higher level.”

The administration’s new proposal is based on the absurd notion that someone being paid $35,308 a year in 2020 is a well-paid executive who doesn’t need or deserve overtime protections.

The economy has largely recovered since the Great Recession, but far too many working families are still being left behind. In order for economic growth to reach workers, not just the wealthy few, we need updated rules governing worker protections such as overtime pay and the minimum wage.

The Restoring Overtime Pay Act would increase the threshold to be $51,064–and automatically update the level going forward.

Join the EPI Policy Center in telling Congress to pass the Restoring Overtime Pay Act to boost the wages of over 8 million working people. Become a grassroots co-signer today!

Together, we will send a clear message to Congress–with support from every corner of the country–that we will not tolerate a weakening of our overtime rules. Thank you for all that you do to demand an economy that works for everyone.