6 Noteworthy Quotes From President Obama on Overtime Pay

President Barack Obama recently announced his plan to increase the overtime salary threshold, increasing the pay for millions of Americans.

Throughout his time in office, the president has aimed at expanding overtime to workers, making amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act. Last year, he announced plans to update overtime regulations, according to Reuters.

Here are some of the quotes he’s made on the topic:

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1. “We've got to keep making sure hard work is rewarded. Right now, too many Americans are working long days for less pay than they deserve. … In this country, a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay. That's at the heart of what it means to be middle class in America.”
– Obama, The Huffington Post, in an op-ed on why he wants to increase the threshold, 2015

2. “We've got to make sure that this economy works for everybody who's willing to work, everybody who's willing to do their fair share. … This is an issue of basic fairness. If you work longer and you work harder, you should get paid for it.”
– Obama, National Public Radio, in a speech in Wisconsin on his proposal, 2015

3. “Millions of Americans aren't getting the extra pay they deserve. ... We're going to consult with both workers and businesses as we update our overtime rules.”
– Obama, USA Today, when ordering a new set of overtime work rules at a White House ceremony, 2014

4. “They work hard and play by the rules. ... Today's action will ensure that these men and women get paid fairly for a service that a growing number of older Americans couldn't live without.”
– Obama, Color Lines, when announcing an amendment to regulations of the Fair Labor Standards Act to provide overtime for homecare workers, 2011

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5. “Our unions helped build our middle class. We take for granted so much stuff – minimum wage laws, 40-hour work week, overtime, child labor laws. Those things wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for unions fighting for those rights.”
– Obama, SEIU.org, at a town hall meeting in Iowa, 2010

6. “The system isn't working when ... companies hire undocumented immigrants instead of legal citizens to avoid paying overtime or to avoid a union.”
– Then-Sen. Barack Obama, The Washington Post, in a speech to the National Council of La Raza, 2008

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