NALP lobbying to oppose the overtime legislation has paid off. Introduced on March 17, Senators Scott (R-SC) and Alexander (R-TN) and Representatives Walberg (R-MI) and Kline (R-MN) introduced the Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act (S.2707 and H.R 4773) that will ensure the Department of Labor pursues a balanced and responsible approach to updating federal overtime rules. The sponsors of the legislation – members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce – released the following statements upon introduction:
“The Obama administration’s decision to drastically redefine overtime will hurt our workforce and our employers. It will lead to reduced hours, confusion for job creators, and will limit growth opportunities for employees,” said Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), a member of the Senate Labor Committee. “It is important that workplace policies address the needs of both employees and employers. The Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act stops the Department of Labor from irresponsibly redefining the overtime threshold without understanding the real world consequences. It will also require them to start over and ensure that any new regulation on overtime considers the daily impact on our nation’s economy.”
“In the 21st century workplace, we need to encourage policies that increase flexibility, reduce regulatory burdens, and create more opportunities for workers to pursue their dreams. Our nation’s outdated overtime rules are in need of modernization, but it must be done in a responsible way that doesn’t stifle opportunities for working families to get ahead. Unfortunately, the administration’s overtime proposal fails this test and should be sent back to the drawing board,” said House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI).
“This mandate on employers will hurt the lowest paid American workers the most, by reducing their opportunities for a promotion or a better job and making it all but impossible for workers to negotiate flexible schedules,” said Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN). “In just one example of the dramatic effect it will have, some of Tennessee’s small independent colleges are expecting it to cost them a minimum of $1.3 million each—a giant figure that may cost the colleges’ students in tuition hikes and cost employees in job cuts.”
