AUGUSTA (AP) — Gov. Paul LePage and other officials in Maine are opposing proposed changes to federal labor rules on the grounds that employment and small businesses will be negatively affected.
The U.S. Department of Labor is taking public comments on proposed changes to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act until Friday. The proposal would more than double the minimum salary needed for most salaried workers to be classified as exempt from federal overtime regulations. Nearly 5 million more Americans would qualify for overtime under the change.
LePage says the rule change would have a “lasting effect” on employers. He says the change wouldn’t benefit state residents.
State Labor Commissioner Jeanne Paquette also opposes the rule change. She says employers will revise workers’ job duties to avoid paying the increases.
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less