Jayapal, Casar, Horsford Introduce Bill To Increase Overtime Pay

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35), joined by Reps. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Steven Horsford (NV-04) introduced the Double the Wage for Overtime Act, which would increase the rate of overtime pay for the first time in nearly 90 years.

The bill would raise federal overtime pay to double a worker's wage for every hour worked over 40 hours a week, instead of the current rate of time and a half. A worker making $25 an hour and working 10 hours overtime a week would make $6,500 more a year as a result of the bill. Analysis from the Economic Policy Institute, available here, shows the bill would help more than 13 million workers.

The bill is a key pillar of the Congressional Progressive Caucus' New Affordability Agenda. Casar announced the bill would be introduced in remarks to the Communications Workers of America.

In addition to Reps. Casar, Jayapal, and Horsford, the bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Judy Chu (CA-28), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), John Larson (CT-01), Summer Lee (PA-12), Sarah McBride (DE), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Dina Tituts (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

The bill is endorsed by: Communication Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), UNITE HERE, National Nurses United (NNU), the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Groundwork Action, and the Economic Policy Institute.

"Too many Americans are working extra hours but still not making enough to get ahead. After nearly 90 years, our labor laws need to be updated," said Casar. "If you work overtime, this bill would put money in your pocket by requiring your employer to pay you double for extra hours."

"The American people are facing an affordability crisis, as skyrocketing inflation outpaces workers' wages," said Jayapal. "I'm proud to co-lead the Double the Wage for Overtime Act with Rep. Casar to both deter corporations from forcing workers into long, unsustainable hours and to ensure that hardworking Americans get the pay they deserve. This is a critical step in the effort to raise wages and protect workers."

"For the first time in nearly 90 years, we are finally making changes to make sure workers who put in the hours actually get paid for them." saidHorsford. "The Double the Wage for Overtime Act is a long-overdue reckoning that will deliver higher, more livable wages to the workers who have earned them. At a time when working families are stretched thin to afford groceries, gas, and basic necessities, this bill isn't just about a paycheck - it's about dignity. Workers who are putting in the work shouldn't be fighting to get ahead. This legislation ensures they no longer have to."

"CWA members across a number of industries and sectors have seen for years that employers would like nothing more than to work us to the bone," said CWA President Claude Cummings, Jr. "We have fought hard at the bargaining table to make sure that our members are compensated fairly for their hard work, but every worker in this country deserves to be guaranteed better compensation when they're being routinely forced to give up time with their families, their kids, to miss important moments, or even simply to get a moment to relax. The Double the Wage for Overtime Act compensates working families for the sacrifices we make. I thank Representatives Casar, Jayapal and Horsford for their leadership on this important issue and encourage Congress to consider it quickly.

"This legislation represents the most important change to the Fair Labor Standards Act since it was passed almost 90 years ago." Dean Baker, economist, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Issues: Jobs, Labor, & the Economy