Democrats seemingly have declared war on work — whether that means paying people to stay home during the pandemic, expanding jobless benefits, promoting student loan forgiveness, or opposing Republican efforts to require those who receive public assistance such as food stamps or Medicaid to work for those benefits.
Now comes the 32-hour work week.
According to CNSNews.com, California Democratic Rep. Mark Takano has filed a bill that would cut the traditional 40-hour work week to just 32 hours. The bill primarily affects hourly workers.
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“This bill would necessitate that employers either compensate workers for those additional hours [meaning pay overtime after 32 hours] or hire more workers to fill in the gaps,” Takano’s office said in a statement.
“This will allow for more work sharing and labor market participation while creating a healthier competition in the workplace that empowers workers to negotiate for better wages and working conditions.”
Yes, as Democrats continue to disincentivize work, Takano wants to boost “labor market participation.”
Meanwhile, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report, employers nationwide have 11 million job openings, and President Joe Biden perpetually brags about low unemployment numbers.
In other words, almost everyone who wants to work is working; for those who aren’t, it seems plenty of opportunities exist.
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“Workers across the nation are collectively reimagining their relationship to labor — and our laws need to follow suit,” Takano said in a press release. “We have before us the opportunity to make common sense changes to work standards passed down from a different era.”
“The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would improve the quality of life of workers, meeting the demand for a more truncated workweek that allows room to live, play, and enjoy life more fully outside of work,” he said.
Of course, one might ask what those workers will do when their paychecks are cut by 20%.
Takano’s office noted three powerful unions support his bill: the AFL-CIO), the Service Employees International Union, and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, said, “For far too long, working people have put in extraordinarily long hours on the job and sacrificed too much time with their families and loved ones.”
“This legislation is a step in the right direction to ensure working people get the dignity and job-life balance they deserve. It’s past time for corporations to adapt to the changing needs of America’s workforce, including shorter work days and a four-day workweek.”
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The current work-to-life ratio is a mere pittance of what it was for earlier generations. Last month Business Insider reported that when the federal government began tracking factory workers’ hours in 1890, the standard work week was 100 hours.
The federal government instituted the 40-hour week in 1940.
CNSNews noted the bill stands next to zero chance of passing the Republican-led House.
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