The GOP is literally handing Obama all the credit for righting the wrongs in this country — and we’re okay with that!
President Obama is taking matters into his own hands again on an issue that has negatively affected millions of families across the nation with a plan to order the raise of wages that have been stagnant since the recession.
Bloomberg reported:
President Barack Obama is preparing to do what the U.S. economic recovery has been slow to accomplish: raise the wages of millions of Americans.
His administration is drafting new rules on who qualifies for overtime compensation, forcing more businesses to pay time-and-a-half after 40 hours of work. Many employees now earning as little as $23,660 a year — below the federal poverty line for a family of four — aren’t entitled to overtime pay because they are considered managers.
Currently, wages have been slow to rise and are still on average $1500 lower than the average wage in December 2007, before the massive recession began, with the median household income at $54,500 in February this year and the last six months have been the most sluggish of all, even as unemployment continues to drop off and the stock market continues to skyrocket.
The plan being hatched by the Obama administration would essentially ensure salaried workers are being compensated fairly for their overtime. Often managers are hired on at a set rate but work more than 40 hours a week, meaning business owners are getting away with not paying the federally mandated time and a half wage for time that exceeds 40 hour weeks. Business owners have found a way to, once again, get richer off the backs of their employees.
While Congress chases their tails on the issue of raising the federal minimum wage, President Obama can still order the raise for salaried workers which helps millions of people who are often forgotten about in this wage war.
And it’s hurting millions of families because not only do their jobs take them away from their spouses and kids by having to work long hours, but they aren’t being fairly compensated for their time, and that is hurting the economy.
Sherrod Brown, a U.S. Senator from Ohio said:
This is absolutely one of the best practical ways to give people the on-ramp to the middle class. When you strip people of their overtime pay, which is what’s happened over the years, they really don’t have a chance to get ahead: They’re working harder and harder and not seeing real pay increases.
People are working harder and harder these days to keep their jobs, and business owners know their employees feel “replaceable” so they are exploiting their workers to keep wages low. Now that unemployment is at its lowest since 2005, it’s time to talk about compensation and wage increases.
More money in the pockets of the working class will undoubtedly boost the economy, but still Republicans repeat their long debunked claims that increasing wages means killing jobs.
When the Executive Order is put into action, Republicans who complain about this on Fox News will undoubtedly lose some support, because overworked/underpaid salaried workers are Republicans too. If this wage increase does help the economy like it’s projected to, then the GOP lawmakers who are obstructing the increase in minimum wage will have to atone for why they are actively hurting the economy and the American people.
If businesses try to counter Obama’s plan by cutting salaried workers, they will add more workers to the growing pool of hourly employees which will further help the struggle to get hourly wages increased in this country. Either way, business owners will have to pony up and pay their employees a more livable wage.
This order is about fairness. Once Obama adds his signature millions of workers will be fairly compensated for the hours they work at their jobs, and Republicans will look more useless and obstinate than ever.
H/T: Politicus | Photo: Wikipedia
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