Takano, Adams, Sanders Reintroduce Restoring Overtime Pay Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representative Mark Takano (CA-39), Representative Alma Adams (NC-12) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reintroduced the Restoring Overtime Pay Act to expand and strengthen overtime protections for workers, legislation that is especially vital as President Donald Trump's policies drive up costs for everyday Americans.

Currently, just eight percent of full-time salaried workers are eligible for overtime pay based on their salaries alone. In 1975, nearly 63 percent of all full-time salaried workers were guaranteed overtime pay. While 60 percent of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck, the Trump Administration is trying to make it more difficult for working families to make ends meet by weakening the protections set by the Biden Administration. In response, this bold, commonsense legislation will help restore fairness to an economy rigged against workers and their families.

The Restoring Overtime Pay Act expands and strengthens overtime protections for up to 29.3 million workers by gradually increasing the overtime salary threshold to the 55th percentile of full-time salaried workers nationwide.

"Americans are working more for less," said Rep. Takano. "Expanding the overtime threshold for salaried employees is the best way to ensure that families can survive the cost-of-living crisis caused by Donald Trump. I am proud to introduce this bill to help make sure over 29 million workers get paid fairly."

"For far too long, tens of millions of Americans have been denied overtime pay because of outdated federal law," said Rep.?Adams. "In my district, thousands of residents are struggling to make ends meet while the Trump administration puts the interests of billionaires above those of ordinary Americans. Working people need overtime pay now more than ever, and I am proud to partner with Congressman Takano and Senator Sanders to introduce the Restoring Overtime Pay Act and ensure workers are paid what they're owed."

"At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when over 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, it is beyond unacceptable that President Trump is denying overtime pay to millions of workers who desperately need it to keep up with the outrageously high cost of living,"?said Sen. Sanders.?"We should be making it easier, not harder, for Americans who work more than 40 hours a week to get the time-and-a-half pay that they have earned and deserve. That's precisely what this bill would do."

Endorsing Orgs:?AFL-CIO; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance-AFL-CIO (APALA); Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); the Clearinghouse on Women's Issues; Communications Workers of America (CWA); Demos; Equal Rights Advocates; Family Values?@ Work; the Feminist Majority Foundation; International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM); International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE); National Education Association (NEA); National Employment Law Project (NELP); National Employment Lawyers Association; National Institute for Workers' Rights; National Partnership for Women & Families; National Women's Law Center; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; North Carolina Justice Center; Oxfam America; Patriotic Millionaires; Public Justice Center; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); UNITE HERE; United Autoworkers (UAW), United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE); United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW); United for Respect; United Steelworkers (USW); Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center; WorkLife Law; Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute.

Read the one-pager and section-by-section summary of the Restoring Overtime Pay Act.

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