The Bush Administration's Overtime Pay Take-Away

On Aug. 23, 2004, the Bush administration changed the rules that decide who is eligible for overtime pay. The changes affected some 6 million workers, including nurses, nursery school and pre-kindergarten teachers, store supervisors and many others. Millions of working people now face unpredictable work schedules and reduced pay because their employers may not have to pay a premium for demanding that they work more than 40 hours a week.

As of Aug. 23, 2004:

• Millions of salaried workers making between $23,660 and $100,000 who were previously eligible to receive overtime pay can now be reclassified as executives, administrative or professional employees-and no longer qualify for overtime pay.
  
  
• The Bush administration says the new rules give overtime protections to more workers by allowing anyone who earns $23,660 or less to automatically qualify for overtime pay. But many of those workers, such as fast-food employees, were already covered. And the Labor Department has spelled out for employers how they can avoid paying overtime to low-wage workers.
  
  
• Many working families depend on paid overtime to pay bills. In this time of declining wages and increasing costs of health care, prescription drugs, child care and other essential expenses, the Bush administration's overtime pay cut highlights a trend that rewards corporations while creating economic hardship for America's workers.