Information sheet lays out specific areas that could hurt members

Starting in August, new regulations pushed through by the Bush administration will make it easier for employers to deny overtime pay to millions of workers. Despite the administration’s claims that the new rules—under the Fair Labor Standards Act—will have minimal impact on American workers, AFT analysis shows a different picture. Even workers earning as little as $23,600 a year could lose overtime rights.

The AFT PSRP department has put together an information sheet on how the changes could affect school support staff. “As a general rule,” the document states, “we do not believe that very many of the jobs within the PSRP ranks will be affected by the revised rules.” But it points out that rules are always open to interpretation, and it urges AFT affiliates to look closely at job descriptions to see who might be at risk.

The new rules lay out a two-pronged test, based on salary and on the worker’s job qualifications and/or job duties, to determine who is exempt from overtime compensation. The information sheet singles out a number of specific parts of the new regulations that could be of concern to workers in such job categories as skilled trades, food service managers, clerical workers and paraprofessionals.

As AFT president Edward J. McElroy put it when the regulations were issued, over the objection of majorities in both houses of Congress, “Instead of helping millions of Americans who are looking for jobs, this administration has given employers another reason not to hire new employees and instead forces current workers to work overtime for free.” Among AFT members, nurses and other healthcare employees will likely be most harmed by the changes.

The PSRP department document, which includes a link to relevant language on the U.S. Department of Labor Web site, is available at www.aft.org/psrp.