“Tonight, a district court judge in Texas halted implementation of the overtime rule, which was set to take effect next week. This important regulation would have a significant impact, finally ending the days when people who work long hours for poverty wages are not required to receive overtime pay. By updating wage and hour protections that had been allowed to erode for decades, the new rule would help stop an egregious form of worker abuse and put fair wages in the hands of millions of workers who labor at their jobs for more than 40 hours per week.

The Texas court decision issued this evening is an appalling overreach that must not stand. The U.S. Department of Labor has set minimum salary requirements for overtime for more than 75 years, based on both an employee’s salary and duties, and it has the right to do so now. It is past time to increase the minimum salary level for exempt employees from $455 per week, or $23,660 per year, to $921 per week, or $47,892 per year.

Forced overtime without pay – an unacceptable form of worker exploitation – must end. It’s past time to restore basic fairness to our workplaces. Millions of women will suffer if this injunction stands. Workers will lose, families will lose, our economy will lose and our country will lose if the overtime rule is permanently blocked.”