Several labor unions, including the National Education Association (NEA), are pushing for the Department of Labor (DOL) to eliminate the exemption for teaching professions when it proposes changes to the overtime rules, which is expected to occur this fall.  If successful, this would affect both K-12 educators and college and university faculty. Teachers, along with several other professions, have been exempt from overtime pay rules since 1967.      

The unions argued in a letter sent this week to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh that the DOL should use its regulatory authority to raise compensation standards for teachers.  While the union efforts focus on increasing pay for teachers, the elimination of the exemption would also mean enormous costs and staffing implications for employers, including many colleges and universities.

The Department is holding its final public regional listening session for employers in the west region on June 3. If you are concerned about upcoming adjustments to the overtime pay threshold expected this fall and live in that region, please consider participating. Please email OTSessionInquiries@dol.gov with any questions about the session. If you need assistance preparing remarks, or want to let us know that you’ll be participating, please contact Karin Johns, NAICU’s director of tax policy, at Karin@NAICU.edu.