Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont who twice ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, introduced a bill to establish a four-day US working week.
Studies and pilot programmes have shown that four-day workweeks can increase productivity and happiness. Given Republican control of the House and a Senate split 51-49 in favour of Democrats, however, the legislation stands little chance of success.
“Moving to a 32-hour workweek with no loss of pay is not a radical idea,” Sanders said on Thursday. “Today, American workers are over 400% 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. The financial gains from the major advancements in artificial intelligence, automation and new technology must benefit the working class, not just corporate chief executives and wealthy stockholders on Wall Street.
“It is time to reduce the stress level in our country and allow Americans to enjoy a better quality of life. It is time for a 32-hour workweek with no loss in pay.”
The legislation is co-sponsored by Laphonza Butler, a Democratic senator from California, and Mark Takano, a House Democrat from the same state.
Butler said: “The Thirty-Two-Hour Workweek Act would allow hard-working Americans to spend more time with their families while protecting their wages and making sure profits aren’t only going to a select few.”
Takano hailed “transformative legislation that will be a win for both workers and workplaces”.
Sanders’ office hailed endorsements from unions and campaign groups and cited predictions of a shorter workweek from business giants including Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, and Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JP Morgan Chase.
“This bill underscores the escalating trend towards diminishing work hours,” said Dr Dale Whelehan, chief executive of 4 Day Week Global, a pressure group.
“Increasing evidence firmly supports that reducing working hours yields beneficial outcomes for businesses, individuals and the broader community … We are thrilled to support this endeavour … marking further progress towards a future of work that prioritises sustainable human performance and wellbeing.”
Also on Thursday, Sanders staged a hearing of his Senate health, education, labor and pensions committee.
“One of the issues that we have to talk about is stress in this country, the fact that so many people are going to work exhausted physically and mentally,” Sanders said.
“And the fact that we have not changed the Fair Labor Standards Act – this was in 1940 – we came up with the 40-hour workweek in 1940. Who is going to deny that the economy has … fundamentally and radically changed over that period of time?”
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the ranking Republican on the committee, said 32-hour workweeks could work for individual businesses but should not be mandated.
“We won’t maintain the status of being the world’s wealthiest nation if we kneecap the American economy with something which purports to be good for the American worker but indeed will lead to offshoring of jobs seeking for a lower-cost labour force,” Cassidy said.
Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers union, had fiery words in return: “The truth is, working-class people aren’t lazy. They’re fed up.
“They’re fed up with being left behind and stripped of dignity as wealth inequality in this nation, this world, spirals out of control. They’re fed up in America. In America, three families have as much wealth as the bottom 50% of citizens in this nation. That is criminal.”
