New rules effecting overtime pay set forth by the Bush administration went into effect today, redefining which workers qualify for time-and-a-half pay after working more than 40 hours in a week. The rules are expected to affect up to six million workers, causing them to lose overtime pay, according to the Economic Policy Institute, with a much smaller percentage gaining new rights to collect overtime pay. According to the Associated Press, this is the first overhaul of government overtime rules in over 50 years. The AFL-CIO plans to hold a news conference today, as well as distribute millions of fliers stating that Bush is benefiting his “corporate friends” with policy that will cut the paychecks of millions of Americans, reports the New York Times. The Times also lists those affected by the new rules as professional, administrative, and managerial workers who currently qualify for overtime, among them nurses, pharmacists, chefs, restaurant managers, funeral directors, and claims adjusters. The rules also exempt workers who earn more than $100,000 from receiving overtime pay, with the exception of workers who are already under union contracts that demand overtime. JOIN the Feminist Majority
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