Unions: The Folks That Brought You the Weekend

We are all better off because of unions and this is true even if you have never been represented by one.  A good example is the weekend.  The standard work week used to be 60 to 80 hours a week in the early 20th century.  Everyone, including children, were expected to work 10 or 12 hour days six days a week. Sunday was a day off only because you were expected to go to church. The weekend did not come about because employers cared about their employees. Employers had to be forced, through laws and union contracts, to allow workers time for their families or some social life. The struggle for the 40 hour week took many years, and many people ...