Dems Decry New Overtime Rules

They are crying, it seems to me, because this makes sense and the GOP is the party to finally implement it.

Chao said about 107,000 white-collar workers earning $100,000 or more a year could lose their eligibility. That is fewer than in a draft proposal 13 months ago that estimated that 1.5 million to 2.7 million workers "will be more readily identified as exempt."

Also, about 1.3 million lower-wage white-collar workers will be newly eligible for overtime, she said. "Workers will clearly know their rights and employers will clearly know their responsibilities," Chao said.

Republicans embraced the changes as evidence the department heeded critics of its March 2003 proposal and developed a plan that will boost the pay of lower-income workers and protect the eligibility of higher earners.

Workers gaining overtime protections include lower-wage retail and restaurant managers. Middle-income workers such as office workers, cooks, inspectors, paralegals, licensed practical nurses and technicians "will have their rights better protected," the department said.