Reply To: Some thoughts on Labor Day

Joseph, my age is none of your business. My parents came to America at the turn of the century. Up until the FSLA in 1938 the US govt had no established work week. Employers were at will to set the hours of a work week. So consequently it was possible that your grandparents to have worked for employers willing to honor a 40 hr. work week but it was quite uncommon. Most of the early legislation dealt with the establishment of an 8 hour workday but didn’t establish a work week. Union contracts could limit the days worked but they were few and far between Muller v Oregon (1908) gave female laundry workers an 8 hour day (down from ten) but the women were still required to work a 6 day week. Some federal legislation granted shorter hours to federal workers and some railroad employees. . In 1940 the FSLA was amended and the 40 hour work week was established in American labor law.

Thank you for the reminder about the holidays but I really didn’t need it.