Harkin Applauds Administration Action to Strengthen Overtime Pay Protections

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement in response to the news that today President Obama will direct the U.S. Department of Labor to begin the process of administratively strengthening overtime pay protections for millions of workers through updates to the rules that carry out the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In 2012, Harkin proposed updating the overtime regulations and expanding time-and-a-half-pay in his Rebuild America Act to help families achieve financial security and expand the middle class.

“Americans who work hard and play by the rules are entitled to a fair day's pay. While corporate profits have soared ever-higher, middle-class working families are falling behind. Under current regulations, millions of salaried employees who are required to work long hours are unfairly denied time-and-a-half overtime pay. Updates to our nation's overtime rules under the FLSA are overdue, and I applaud President Obama for acting to strengthen our most basic and fundamental wage and hour protections.”

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