Last week the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas granted a preliminary injunction against a new law that would have increased the threshold for overtime pay, making salaried workers who earn up to $47,476 eligible for overtime.

The law would have taken effect Dec. 1, but the injunction means Congress will have the final say in whether the overtime threshold will ultimately be updated.

Locally, the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce joined organizations including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Association of Business in opposition to the rule.

“We are pleased with the decision to issue an injunction, halting the implementation of the Department of Labor’s proposed overtime rule,” said Barbara Thomason, Northwest Houston Chamber of Commerce president. “The overtime rule as proposed would have placed undue pressure, unnecessarily burdened employers and had a negative impact on many employees.”

Thomason said she believes the rule would also have a negative effect on nonprofit organizations, including chambers of commerce, as it would affect people's ability to volunteer their time.

The injunction means employers will not have to pay overtime to employees who would have qualified under the new law. The new threshold was almost twice as much as the existing threshold, which remains in place for now.