White House Wins Fight on OT Rule Changes [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Sat, Nov. 22, 2003

White House Wins Fight on OT Rule Changes
ALAN FRAM
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Foes of the Bush administration's proposed rules changing which workers would qualify for overtime pay abandoned their fight Friday in the face of unrelenting pressure from the White House and the House.

Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the chief Republican opponent of the new rules, agreed to drop a provision killing the regulations from a massive spending bill, lawmakers, congressional aides and lobbyists said.

Critics of the new rules said they could lead to 8 million Americans losing eligibility for overtime pay, largely white-collar workers earning more than $65,000 a year. Administration officials say more than 644,000 such employees would lose the time-and-a-half pay now required when they work more than 40 hours in a week.

The dispute was the biggest hurdle to completion of a huge, overdue bill financing dozens of federal agencies that Congress' leaders want to complete before lawmakers leave town for the year. (snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7321821.htm