Labor Department task force to target eligibility

Labor unions and Democrats have criticized the overtime rule changes.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Labor Department, facing political heat over new overtime pay rules, is creating an enforcement task force that will focus on protecting workers' eligibility rights.
Labor Secretary Elaine Chao is to announce the new group this afternoon after meeting in New Orleans with Wage and Hour Division managers and district directors.
The department's new rule, announced last week, overhauls the regulations that determine what white collar workers are eligible for overtime pay under the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act. It takes effect in August and does not require approval from Congress.
The new rule and the task force "reinforce our proven commitment to protecting workers' rights," Chao said in a statement.
The department first proposed changes to the regulations in March 2003, and was heavily criticized by labor unions and Democrats as an attempt to take away overtime eligibility for workers. The department said its plan would have cut overtime pay for about 644,000 workers, though critics said the number was closer to 8 million.
Officials heavily revised the plan, contending most white-collar workers earning between $23,660 and $100,000 will not lose their overtime eligibility. To help sell the plan in an election year, the department has dubbed its overtime overhaul the "Fair Pay" plan and has tried to shift focus to protecting workers' eligibility.
Democrats and labor unions say their concerns about overtime takeaways remain because exemptions are being expanded in the new rule that will cover more workers.
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