Work in progress — cycles are added one at a time. Every quote is machine-verified against an archived source; follow the links to read it.

1932 › Norman Thomas (Socialist) › Working hours and labor standards

The six-hour day and five-day week without reduction in wages

pledge_forwardspecific_pledgeparty_platformevidence B Labor & Employment⚡ The Great Depression similar solutions · similar reasoning

Solution

Legislate a six-hour day and five-day week with no wage reduction, plus a comprehensive system of public employment agencies.

Rationale

Labor-saving machinery 'increases unemployment and spreads misery' under capitalism; hours should fall 'in keeping with the increased productivity of modern machinery.'

Evidence B: the platform text is archived only as contemporary newspaper OCR (Milwaukee Leader, the Socialist daily) and Levinson's New Leader summary, not the official platform document.

Statements (2)

1932-05-22 · Morris Hillquit NBC radio address for the Socialist ticket, reported in the Milwaukee Leader · conventionsurrogate ✓ verified

We demand that the hours of labor be reduced in keeping with the increased productivity of mod ern machinery and rationalization of industry.

Source: The Milwaukee leader (Milwaukee, Wis.), May 23, 1932, (Home Edition) (page 2) (1932-05-23)

1932-05-23 · Milwaukee Leader report of the Socialist convention platform session (May 23) · conventionparty_platform ✓ verified

Other planks adopted are for a six-hour day and five-day week, without reduction in wages and the comprehensive and sufficient of three public employment agencies.

Source: The Milwaukee leader (Milwaukee, Wis.), May 23, 1932, (Home Edition) (page 1) (1932-05-23)

Follow-through

not_applicable

Thomas received 2.2 percent of the vote; the Socialist program could not be tested in office. NRA codes set 35–40 hour weeks; the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) fixed 40 hours — not the six-hour day, and initially with lower pay for shorter weeks in some codes.

Enacted by others

1938-06-25

Franklin D. Roosevelt

statute NIRA codes; Fair Labor Standards Act

source

Other positions on this issue

Spread employment by substantially reducing hours of labor, starting in government service — Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932 directional_stance
Revive the NRA's principles 'by one device or another' (imputed; the President would not say) — Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1936 directional_stance
Shorter hours, higher wages, end child labor and sweatshops — Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1936 directional_stance

1932-thomas-six-hour-day-five-day-week · created by claude-fable-5-1 · review: unreviewed