October 24, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Whitmer Request for Overtime Expansion Will Help Working Families
Trump administration has scaled back OT expansion
MICHIGAN — Progress Michigan is applauding Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s effort to expand overtime eligibility to more working people in Michigan.
“When people go above and beyond in the workplace, they should be properly compensated for it and Gov. Whitmer clearly understands that simple fact. When employees don’t get paid for extra work, they’re getting ripped off by their bosses and that’s not right,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “We need an economy that works for everyone and this is a great step toward ensuring hundreds of thousands of working people across Michigan are paid for the hours they’ve worked. Hours worked should be hours paid.”
Expanding the overtime threshold would mean stability and the opportunity to get ahead for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders who deserve to be paid for every hour they work. For decades, the percentage of Michigan workers who were entitled to overtime pay has declined, dropping from 63 percent in 1975 to just 5 percent today.
Donald Trump’s administration has not helped working people get the money they’ve earned. The Trump administration has worked to rollback Obama era overtime expansion efforts, effectively taking money from the pockets of 200,000 Michigan workers.
“Corporate lobbyists will undoubtedly fight against this pro-worker move, but it’s important to remember that the interests they represent are focused on profits for the few, rather than what’s best for the many,” Scott continued. “Gov. Whitmer is fighting for working families and we applaud her using her executive authority to do the right thing.”
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