New state rules will finally reverse the trend toward less overtime pay. And that will be good for everyone.

by Nicole Macri
“Washington state just took a big step to bring back the 40-hour workweek: The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has released a bold plan to restore overtime protections to hundreds of thousands of salaried workers in our state. Under L&I’s plan, workers paid less than 2.5 times the minimum wage (about $70,000 per year) will get overtime pay when they work overtime hours, regardless of their job title, and regardless of whether they’re salaried or hourly.

This is a huge step forward that will return millions of hours to hundreds of thousands of underpaid and overworked people in our state. It restores the promise of one of the most fundamental workplace rights: the right to a 40-hour workweek, with time-and-a-half pay when you work additional hours.

It’s about time…”

“As a state legislator and a nonprofit employer, I’m proud to support our state’s bold plan to restore overtime protections. It’s time to bring back the promise of the 40-hour workweek.”
— Nicole Macri, State Representative (43rd District), and Deputy Director, Downtown Emergency Services Center

workingwa.org

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has released a bold plan to restore overtime rights for hundreds of thousands of salaried workers in our state. Under the state’s plan, if you’re paid less than 2.5 times the minimum wage (about $70,000/year) you’ll get overtime pay when you work overtime hours, no matter what job title your boss gives you, and regardless of whether you’re salaried or hourly. The updated rules would phase in over the next several years.

This would be a huge step forward for workers’ rights in our state, and whether you work a salaried job, an hourly job, or you’re retired, we need your voice to back it up!

Official public comment is an important part of the process, and the state is going to be carefully tracking the number of comments they get on each side. We made it easy — just answer a few quick questions to build your own comment and let L&I know that you support restoring overtime rights.

workingwa.org

The Canadian government just fast-tracked a response to a First Nations court victory against the Trans Mountain pipeline. It’s now re-approved and they want to start construction as early as this summer.

Remember — this project would make the Trans Mountain pipeline bigger than Keystone XL, and increase tanker traffic through the Salish Sea by seven hundred percent, which could be dire for the already struggling southern resident orca population.

We’ve partnered with First Nations who’ve led on legal actions that have helped stop this pipeline before, and now we’re needed to do it again. Will you pledge to support First Nations in their fight against this pipeline again?

sierraclub.org

We have the chance to make it easier — not harder — for people to get the birth control they need. There are multiple bills being introduced in Congress right now that would do just that — and we need to make sure they pass. Tell your representatives that you support these efforts to expand birth control access and coverage.

Will you help us make these bills reality by telling your representatives in Congress we need to expand access to birth control?

Sincerely,
Mara Gandal-Powers
Director of Birth Control Access & Senior Counsel
National Women’s Law Center