Obama Orders Overtime Expansion

Facing an economy where workers' wages have stagnated while corporate profits have taken off, President Obama will unveil a plan to force businesses to pay more overtime to millions of employees. On Thursday, he will order the Labor Department to require overtime pay for millions of fast-food managers, loan officers, computer technicians, and others who companies now classify as “executive or professional” to avoid paying overtime. Obama's move comes after Republicans in Congress have vowed to fight his proposal to raise the federal minimum wage. Business groups won a major victory in 2004 when they persuaded President George W. Bush to give them more freedom on exempting salaried workers.