How long should the work week be?

In which James grapples with the idea of a shorter workweek.

"While the biggest issue on the table is pay (the union proposed 40% hourly pay increases over the next four years), another proposal is adopting an emerging buzzy benefit: The UAW is calling for the introduction of a four-day, 32-hour workweek, at the same rate of pay, and overtime pay for anything beyond that.

“Our members are working 60, 70, even 80 hours a week just to make ends meet,” said UAW president Shawn Fain on a Facebook Live event last month. “That’s not a living. That’s barely surviving, and it needs to stop.”

Calls for a 32-hour workweek may seem lofty, but autoworkers have a long history of driving change in the structure of the American workweek.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/19/why-uaw-auto-workers-want-a-32-hour-workweek.html

https://fortune.com/2023/09/15/why-uaw-on-strike-detroit-big-3-automakers-ford-gm-stellantis/

Let me know what you think in the comments at jamesbrowntv.substack.com or email me at jamesbrowntv@gmail.com. You can also leave me a message at 585-484-0339.