Federal appeals court reinstates rules giving overtime, minimum wage to home care workers

[riversedge]

Source: Associated Press



Aug. 21, 2015 | 11:27 a.m. EDT


By SAM HANANEL, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday reinstated Obama administration regulations that guarantee overtime and minimum wage protection to nearly 2 million home health care workers.

The ruling is a victory for worker advocacy groups and labor unions that have long sought higher wages for domestic workers ....................

It's also a win for the White House, which announced the rules four years ago as part of an effort to go around an unwilling Congress in a bid to help low-wage workers through executive action.

A federal judge had scrapped the Labor Department rules earlier this year after finding that the agency had overstepped its authority. Since 1974, federal law has exempted home care workers hired through third-party staffing agencies from wage and overtime requirements.

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the Labor Department has the power to interpret the law to change that exemption.

Writing for a three-judge panel, Judge Sri Srinivasan cited a "dramatic transformation" of the home care industry over the past four decades as a valid reason for the change. While most caregivers used to be directly employed by individual households, the vast majority of workers now work for staffing companies that service hundreds or thousands of customers, Srinivasan said............

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/08/21/appeals-court-reinstates-wage-rules-for-home-care-workers

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Thank you Pres Obama


Suck on that Republicans

[ananda]

1. A good thing.

Everyone should have the two things offered due to this ruling:

a living wage

and

access to home healthcare

[whathehell]

3. Absolutely n/t

[Fred Sanders]

2. No wonder the cons hate the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, the second SCOTUS, and tried to dilute it's powers - Obama held firm.

[Duval]

4. Great! liked that last sentence! eom

[Not Sure]

5. An industry that changed to take advantage of a loophole and exploit workers

must now play by the rules. That's a big win for workers. Let's hope the supreme court doesn't decide in favor of its master, the almighty corporation.