Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Will Obama's New Overtime Rules Backfire on Workers?

    Four million American workers may now be entitled to something they've never had before: pay for overtime if they make less than $47,500 a year. The previous cut-off was $23,660. Labor Secretary Secretary Tom Perez endorsed the new rule, saying "middle class jobs deserve middle class pay.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Warren Olney • May 18, 2016 • 6m Listen

    Four million American workers may now be entitled to something they've never had before: pay for overtime if they make less than $47,500 a year. The previous cut-off was $23,660. Labor Secretary Secretary Tom Perez endorsed the new rule, saying "middle class jobs deserve middle class pay. And that when you work extra you should get paid extra, that's what this is about, it's very simple but very bedrock."

    But the new rule may well have unintended consequences, economically — and politically, as we hear from Noam Schieber, a labor reporter for the New York Times.

    The full episode

    1 of 3
    Discord Grows in the Democratic Race
    1. 1:52Will Obama's New Overtime Rules Backfire on Workers?You’re reading this
    2. 8:53Growing Discord among the Democrats
    3. 43:03The Forced Desegregation of a Mississippi School District
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • KCRW placeholder

      Katie Cooper

      Producer, 'One year Later'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Evan George

      Director of Content, News

    • KCRW placeholder

      Paul von Zielbauer

      Co-founder of Geezer magazine, former producer for To the Point and Which Way LA?; former reporter for the New York Times

    • KCRW placeholder

      Noam Scheiber

      New York Times

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    1 of 3
    Discord Grows in the Democratic Race
    1. 1:52Will Obama's New Overtime Rules Backfire on Workers?You’re reading this
    2. 8:53Growing Discord among the Democrats
    3. 43:03The Forced Desegregation of a Mississippi School District
    Back to To the Point