Both of Connecticut’s U.S. senators are pushing the U.S. Dept. of Labor to finalize proposed rules on overtime. They say 40,000 workers could benefit immediately.
In a letter to Labor Secretary Tom Perez with 22 of their colleagues, Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy said the proposal would bring overtime pay to salaried workers making up to approximately $50,440. Currently, workers making only $23,660 or less qualify for overtime, which is below the federal poverty level for a family of four.
In their letter, the senators said in 1975, overtime protections covered nearly 62 percent of full-time salaried workers. They said that is a stark contrast from just 8 percent of full-time salaried workers eligible today.
They also said raising the overtime pay threshold to $50,440, as proposed, could restore protections to more than 5 million full-time salaried workers nationwide, creating $1.4 billion in wages in the first year alone.
