(RightIsRight.co) – A hard-left socialist who calls himself an independent but supports the current White House administration, US Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) has introduced a bill to reduce the standard 40-hour work week by 8 hours.
The “Thirty-Two-Hour Workweek Act” legislation would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and reduce the maximum hours for overtime compensation for non-exempt employees, as Sanders summarized.
Under this bill, employees would get paid a time and a half for working more than eight hours a day and double their regular pay for working more than 12 hours. It also ensured workers would not lose any pay or benefits.
Sanders stated, “Moving to a 32-hour workweek with no loss of pay is not a radical idea. Today, American workers are over 400 percent more productive than they were in the 1940s. And yet, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages than they were decades ago. That has got to change.”
He emphasized that the gains from advancements in artificial intelligence, automation, and technology should benefit the working class, not just CEOs and stockholders. He also added that it was time to reduce stress and improve the quality of life for Americans with a 32-hour workweek without pay cuts.
In his role as chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Sanders recently held a hearing on the bill which had support from several labor unions and a similar bill in the House, introduced by Representative Mark Takano (D-CA).
While polls indicate strong public support for a four-day workweek, some states like Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, are considering testing the 32-hour model.
Companies and other countries have already begun moving in that direction, with some positive results. However, not everyone supports Sanders’ proposed legislation.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) criticized the idea, saying that “32 hour work week for 40 hours of pay is one more example of the federal government promising free money. Nothing is free. It would kill jobs and increase inflation.”
During the hearing, Senior Labor and Employment counsel at the HR Policy Association Roger King warned that Sanders’ proposal could create a “productivity gap” in many industries which will lead to “added costs” for consumers.
He also said the bill would interfere with employees’ flexibility and cause a “worker shortage” for employers.
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