President Fain of the UAW promotes a 32-hour workweek for workers

As labor continues to increase its focus on worker mental health and ensuring workers have the opportunity for a positive work-life balance, the America’s Work Force Union Podcast is presenting portions of United Autoworkers President Shawn Fain’s testimony on Capitol Hill about the need for a 32-hour workweek. 

The President of the United Autoworkers spoke about the history of a workweek and how it’s changed over generations. He provided data from several studies that outlined the improvements in productivity since the 40-hour work week was established 83 years ago, but also how any work beyond the 32-hour threshold begins to decrease in quality and safety.

Fain’s testimony continued by outlining the impact on worker health, as one production worker is now doing the work of 12 workers from the mid-1900s. He shared studies that outlined the rise in mental health problems and physical complications from increased work demands. The workers want to work, and the working class wants to work hard for their paycheck. They just need to be compensated fairly without sacrificing their personal lives, Fain said. The current system is stripping workers of his opportunity for proper work-life balance and could prove detrimental to the future of the American economy, he added.

In the Big Three Automakers campaign and Stand Up Strike, the UAW and Fain initially proposed the 32-hour workweek. Fain said this wasn’t a proposal just for union workers but for the betterment of all workers. Workers want to have the ability to work one job, make it a career and still be able to pay their rent. There shouldn’t be any reason to see a person work three jobs to pay their bills. As part of his testimony, Fain outlined the changes needed to make a 32-hour workweek sustainable and provide stable work for Americans. 

To hear more from President Fain’s testimony on Capitol Hill, listen to the show above. Special thank you to the UAW for providing Fain’s testimony, please visit the link here to watch the entire video.