ECON Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill To Reduce Workweek To Just 4 Days

[Blacknarwhal]

Well, I can't say he's wrong about the productivity thing. We are WAY more productive than we were. And it's true that we don't get a lot of those gains ourselves; they get piped up to the C-suites instead. CEOs can't make 500 times what the average employee does without a lot of cash involved. And guaranteed CEOs aren't working 20,000 hours a week to make that rate justifiable.

But this isn't going to work the way Sanders hopes, or at least says he does; businesses aren't going to just quietly accept a 20% jump in costs per employee. And a LOT of businesses that will suddenly be required to go to a 32 hour week don't benefit from those productivity gains.

Fair use cited so on and so forth.

Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill To Reduce Workweek To Just 4 Days​

Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill To Reduce Workweek To Just 4 Days | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

by Tyler Durden
Friday, Mar 15, 2024 - 10:50 AM

Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced legislation this week which would standardize a 32-hour workweek for the same pay.


"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," Sanders said in a Wednesday press release.

"The financial gains from the major advancements in artificial intelligence, automation, and new technology must benefit the working class, not just corporate CEOs and wealthy stockholders on Wall Street," the statement continues. "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."

Sanders was joined by Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) in introducing the "Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act."

Companion legislation in the House was introduced by Rep. Mark Tekano (D-CA).

Sanders defended the bill in a Friday op-ed in CounterPunch:

Today in America, 28.5 million Americans – 18% of our workforce – now work over 60 hours a week and 40 percent of employees in America now work at least 50 hours a week. We were talking about a 40-hour workweek 80 years ago, and that is what people today, despite the explosion of technology, are working.
The sad reality is, Americans now work more hours than the people of most other wealthy nations. And we’re going to talk about what that means to the lives of ordinary people.
In 2022, employees in the United States, and I hope people hear this, logged 204 more hours a year than employees in Japan, and they’re hardworking people in Japan. 279 more hours than workers in the United Kingdom, and 470 more hours than workers in Germany.
Despite these long hours, the average worker in America makes almost $50 a week less than he or she did 50 years ago, after adjusting for inflation.
...
The question that we are asking today is a pretty simple question – do we continue the trend that technology only benefits the people on top, or that we demand that these transformational changes also benefits working people? And one of these benefits must be a 32-hour workweek.

And this is not a radical idea.

France, the seventh-largest economy in the world, has a 35-hour work week and is considering reducing it to 32.
Norway and Denmark, their workweek is about 37 hours and Belgium has already adopted a 4-day workweek.

Yet, as the American Thinker's Olivia Murray notes:

HuffPost reports that while running for a special election senate seat in 1974, Sanders drew unemployment benefits. He would rack up a number of other political office losses until 1981, at which point he became the mayor of Burlington, Vermont. A leftwing “fact-checker” outlet revealed that this was the first time in Sanders’s life that he had ever had a steady paycheck; if that’s true, Sanders would have been 39 years old before he actually had a steady job… but not even in the private sector actually producing anything!

This, this is the man trying to use government to force his manure ideas on all businesses; here are the specifics of the Sanders’s proposal, from The Hill:

The bill, over a four-year period, would lower the threshold required for overtime pay, from 40 hours to 32 hours. It would require overtime pay at a rate of 1.5 times a worker’s regular salary for workdays longer than 8 hours, and it would require overtime pay at double a worker’s regular salary for workdays longer than 12 hours.

I mean, if we’re just throwing our preposterous and pie-in-the-sky ideas, why not eliminate work altogether Bernie? When it’s “government-funded” that means it’s “free” right? Why don’t we all just get on Universal Basic Income, starting at a million dollars a year—or heck, why not a billion? We could all be on the government payroll like you! “Free” healthcare, “free” Peloton memberships, “free” retirement plans, etc. It will be a perfect socialist utopia!

A Marxist has absolutely no clue how wealth is actually produced, because they don’t produce anything beneficial for anyone (that’s not hyperbole), and they seem incapable of realizing the obvious: the more the government intervenes in the market, the more expensive everything becomes.

It’s a philosophy from the deadbeat of deadbeats; here’s this, from FEE:

On some days, Marx could not even leave his house because his wife Jenny had to pawn his pants to buy food. His friend and collaborator, Friedrich Engels, frequently sent Marx money (between 1865 and 1869 alone Engels gave Marx the equivalent of $36,000). In a letter written on his fiftieth birthday to Engels, Marx recalled his mother’s words: ‘if only Karl made capital instead of just writing about it.’

LOSER. (I mean, this man walked around pantsless instead of getting a job and feeding his family.)
If only Bernie stuck to stealing our capital, instead of trying to legislate it out of existence.

 

[Profit of Doom]

LOSER. (I mean, this man walked around pantsless instead of getting a job and feeding his family.)
If only Bernie stuck to stealing our capital, instead of trying to legislate it out of existence.

 

[CTFIREBATTCHIEF]

Hey Bernie, did it ever register in that communist pile of shite that you call a brain, that the reason Americans are working as much as they are is because of YOUR party's total screwing of our Economy?

It IS nice when you only have to work one job instead of three Bernie, to try and make ends meet, but since you've not EVER held a real job in all of your born days, you worthless POS, you are the LAST person to bitch about worker's hours.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Hey Bernie, did it ever register in that communist pile of shite that you call a brain, that the reason Americans are working as much as they are is because of YOUR party's total screwing of our Economy?

It IS nice when you only have to work one job instead of three Bernie, to try and make ends meet, but since you've not EVER held a real job in all of your born days, you worthless POS, you are the LAST person to bitch about worker's hours.

I don't particularly care who does the bitching here. Even a blind squirrel can find a nut, and he did. We got people working themselves ragged all over the place, and when everybody behaves like this, "find a new job" doesn't work.

 

[energy_wave]

Bernie just doesn't want to work a minute over 32 hours is all. If a business has to pay full benefits at 32 hours, instead of 40, there will be even more part time workers created by this stupid idea.

 

[greysage]

There are more Americans that this interests than not. Most jobs and employers are not worth 40+ hours a week for life.

 

[Southside]

Bernie hasn't worked 32 hours in his whole life.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Bernie just doesn't want to work a minute over 32 hours is all. If a business has to pay full benefits at 32 hours, instead of 40, there will be even more part time workers created by this stupid idea.

There are more Americans that this interests than not. Most jobs and employers are not worth 40+ hours a week for life.

Part of the problem in a nutshell. He's right, but this plan won't work.

 

[Thinwater]

The productivity increase is not due to employee effort. Thank computers, CNC tools, a better knowledge of materials, much better software etc.

These Dhims conflate all kinds of things. That is not to say that big industry does not screw everyone they can as much as they can as a feature, not a bug.

 

[Quiet Man]

Please allow me to correct the OP title:

Communist/Cabal Member Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill To Reduce Workweek To Just 4 Days Continue Planned Incremental Destruction of American Economy/Society​

 

[Macgyver]

Coming from a communist that never worked a day in his life.

 

[WalknTrot]

Bernie. Pandering to the Commie contingent since 1848.

 

[Hfcomms]

Adding to the inflation fires if employers have to pay you for 32 hours as much as they do 40. Where does Bernie think that extra money is coming from when additional people have to be hired to make up for the lost hours? But of course being a socialist politician he thinks there is a magic money tree that can print all the money we need with no repercussions. How this guy remains in office is beyond me.

 

[West]

Right on! I would vote for a work week to be one day!

Of course I would still work whenever I dang will please. And or need to pay my bills.

But more, faster! Also I need another stimulus check! Mama says she needs a new pair of shoes!

 

[Peachy]

I ignore most business or employee advice from anyone that hasn't written a payroll check or sent the total deductions to the IRS. Some people think a business is all profits and no expenses.

Yes Bernie, that includes you.

 

[Tristan]

For sure, that'll fix it!

 

[West]

I ignore most business or employee advice from anyone that hasn't written a payroll check or sent the total deductions to the IRS. Some people think a business is all profits and no expenses.

Yes Bernie, that includes you.

Just musing....

Don't recall writing out many checks to the IRS. Usually it's The United States Treasury.

But excellent point.

 

[KFhunter]

If you’re only working 32 hours per week, then you got plenty of time to pick up another 32hr a week job

 

[Anti-Liberal]

This shitbag has never worked a day in his life much less a 32 hour week.

 

[BornFree]

Meanwhile property taxes are skyrocketing up. So is the cost of living all the way around. That includes the costs for employers. But somehow people are going to work less and pay for it all. It all ends with a big Ka-boom!

 

[WildDaisy]

Just means that all those hourly employees will be made into salary to avoid paying overtime for anything over 35 instead of 40 now. Nothing changes for the worker. On paper, it seems ideal for them, that they would get more money in OT and work less hours. But in actuality, we all know big business will find the loopholes and end up pocketing that money.

It would be nice if we could slow down life in the US. More time off, less stress and stress related illnesses, better home and family life (less mental illness). But we all know it is way too late for all that.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

Just means that all those hourly employees will be made into salary to avoid paying overtime for anything over 35 instead of 40 now. Nothing changes for the worker. On paper, it seems ideal for them, that they would get more money in OT and work less hours. But in actuality, we all know big business will find the loopholes and end up pocketing that money.

It would be nice if we could slow down life in the US. More time off, less stress and stress related illnesses, better home and family life (less mental illness). But we all know it is way too late for all that.

The bill won't pass.

But the problem with going the salary route is the companies will get stung by the DOL once they work people to the bone and a few complain, and up comes an audit and a resulting hefty fine...

 

[Chester]

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Yeah. This is what it was supposed to be. CEOs were supposed to keep making 10 to 20 times what the average worker did, and the average worker's lot was supposed to get better because they had better technology to do the same amount in less time.

Then CEOs realized they were in charge, and could just raise their pay while making employees work more hours with the better technology, and that would pay for their exorbitant pay raises.

 

[Vegas321]

Can't stand Bernie. But I do respect that he admits he's a Communist. The rest of the Dems don't admit, and lie of what they really are.
This bill will go nowhere, of course.

 

[FireDance]

Hey Bernie, did it ever register in that communist pile of shite that you call a brain, that the reason Americans are working as much as they are is because of YOUR party's total screwing of our Economy?

It IS nice when you only have to work one job instead of three Bernie, to try and make ends meet, but since you've not EVER held a real job in all of your born days, you worthless POS, you are the LAST person to bitch about worker's hours.

Rant on!

Now he’s playing around trying to get in some book somewhere IMHO AND I don’t think it’s a bad idea. However, at this juncture, ain’t no way. No company can afford it and none of we “rat shits” can afford it. Get out there and sell American goods you old fart. Do something to help our country and economy. Then we can talk about your BS.

 

[FireDance]

Adding to the inflation fires if employers have to pay you for 32 hours as much as they do 40. Where does Bernie think that extra money is coming from when additional people have to be hired to make up for the lost hours? But of course being a socialist politician he thinks there is a magic money tree that can print all the money we need with no repercussions. How this guy remains in office is beyond me.

Ten hour days.

 

[Bad Hand]

I worked on one job where we decided to work 4 days instead of 5 because of taxes. Working 5 days we lost money due to the taxes.

 

[dstraito]

in trying to collapse this country, reducing productivity would be a milestone toward their narratives

It irks people/countries that are not willing to work as hard to be less prosperous

 

[Dux]

Sure I'll pay the same $ per hour. If 4 days a week were common, I'd have an easier time keeping my biz open 7 days a week. Currently I have 2 Mexicans (in Mexico) covering emails and phones over the weekend. I have to attend to emergencies or other urgent things on the weekends. I tried taking a weekday off, but it was ridiculous, phone ringing and emails, etc. Just didn't work.

My US employees must have their weekends, meaning Saturday and Sunday. One of them keeps harping how I should hire locals first, yet she's out the door every night at 4:00 sharp. Can set my watch with her. I also just hired a Filipino as an assistant. He works from midnight to 8am to match our hours. Both he and I are grateful for each other.

 

[OldArcher]

Well, I can't say he's wrong about the productivity thing. We are WAY more productive than we were. And it's true that we don't get a lot of those gains ourselves; they get piped up to the C-suites instead. CEOs can't make 500 times what the average employee does without a lot of cash involved. And guaranteed CEOs aren't working 20,000 hours a week to make that rate justifiable.

But this isn't going to work the way Sanders hopes, or at least says he does; businesses aren't going to just quietly accept a 20% jump in costs per employee. And a LOT of businesses that will suddenly be required to go to a 32 hour week don't benefit from those productivity gains.

Fair use cited so on and so forth.

Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill To Reduce Workweek To Just 4 Days​

Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill To Reduce Workweek To Just 4 Days | ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

by Tyler Durden
Friday, Mar 15, 2024 - 10:50 AM

Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced legislation this week which would standardize a 32-hour workweek for the same pay.


"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," Sanders said in a Wednesday press release.

"The financial gains from the major advancements in artificial intelligence, automation, and new technology must benefit the working class, not just corporate CEOs and wealthy stockholders on Wall Street," the statement continues. "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."

Sanders was joined by Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) in introducing the "Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act."

Companion legislation in the House was introduced by Rep. Mark Tekano (D-CA).

Sanders defended the bill in a Friday op-ed in CounterPunch:




Yet, as the American Thinker's Olivia Murray notes:

HuffPost reports that while running for a special election senate seat in 1974, Sanders drew unemployment benefits. He would rack up a number of other political office losses until 1981, at which point he became the mayor of Burlington, Vermont. A leftwing “fact-checker” outlet revealed that this was the first time in Sanders’s life that he had ever had a steady paycheck; if that’s true, Sanders would have been 39 years old before he actually had a steady job… but not even in the private sector actually producing anything!

This, this is the man trying to use government to force his manure ideas on all businesses; here are the specifics of the Sanders’s proposal, from The Hill:


I mean, if we’re just throwing our preposterous and pie-in-the-sky ideas, why not eliminate work altogether Bernie? When it’s “government-funded” that means it’s “free” right? Why don’t we all just get on Universal Basic Income, starting at a million dollars a year—or heck, why not a billion? We could all be on the government payroll like you! “Free” healthcare, “free” Peloton memberships, “free” retirement plans, etc. It will be a perfect socialist utopia!

A Marxist has absolutely no clue how wealth is actually produced, because they don’t produce anything beneficial for anyone (that’s not hyperbole), and they seem incapable of realizing the obvious: the more the government intervenes in the market, the more expensive everything becomes.

It’s a philosophy from the deadbeat of deadbeats; here’s this, from FEE:


LOSER. (I mean, this man walked around pantsless instead of getting a job and feeding his family.)
If only Bernie stuck to stealing our capital, instead of trying to legislate it out of existence.

Somebody tell Bawnie to stick a sock, or something that rhymes with sock, in it, and STFU. Progressives are a disease that kill whatever is good in the world…

OA

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Somebody tell Bawnie to stick a sock, or something that rhymes with sock, in it, and STFU. Progressives are a disease that kill whatever is good in the world…

OA

Um, great, except he's not exactly wrong on this one. People in the US get the least time off of any other country. Executive pay is wildly out of line. And the market has pretty much set it up so that EVERYONE acts like this. What is there left for the regular person to do? Smile, suck it up, and hope God sends them all to eternal torment later for their rampant unrepentant greed? That's not even kind of a solution.

 

[saeurs]

I don't remember ever working just 32 hours ever. Usually have a couple jobs going at a time. Now that I have my own business I only work in days that the in "y".

These simpletons that think C-level executives don't work 70+ hour weeks are delusional.

People like comrade Sanders make my blood boil.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

I don't remember ever working just 32 hours ever. Usually have a couple jobs going at a time. Now that I have my own business I only work in days that the in "y".

These simpletons that think C-level executives don't work 70+ hour weeks are delusional.

People like comrade Sanders make my blood boil.

C suite base pay is 20-40k rest is performance bonuses….

 

[undead]

can't see where this would even apply to most salaried

 

[saeurs]

can't see where this would even apply to most salaried

It probably doesn't except that they will now be expected to do the work of those who are only working 32 hours a week are not. Retail already has reduced hours for hourly workers, so changing full time to 32 hours isn't going to do much.

I didn't realize how much I missed out by working FOR someone else. Now that I work for myself, I wish I had broke out 20 years ago.

When I was young in Maine, seemed like everyone had a side hustle. Now I understand why.

 

[et2]

So Bernie and his boss FJB are full of . Joe the jack@$$ just screamed at us all he’s raising taxes on the wealthy. You know … those people that probably pay 80% of the tax money collected by the feds in our country.The remainder they get from us.

He then screamed that manufactures need to reduce the prices of their products, raise wages to where Americans can afford to live on, going after drug companies and their high costs, bla bla bla.

Yet he want’s them to pay “more taxes” … and now reduce the work week … most likely affecting production and the need to hire more people to get the work done.

What could go wrong?

Hmmm …. doors on aircraft falling off.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

So, so tired of this crap.

 

[Cyclonemom]

Because of the long days our employees work, they akready get 4 day work weeks, averaging about 35 hours per week. Most are millennial, a few Gen Z, only a very few of us are Gen X. We Gen X'ers work 50-70 hours per week, not a complaint, and extremely rarely a sick day *for an actual illness* like the 24 hour stomach bug.

Most of the other employees can't handle their 35 hour work weeks and have blown through their PTO by the end of April due to calling in sick in the morning for a *Mental health day*.

Decreasing the number of hours people work seems to actually be BAD for mental health and personal well being.

Many people, especially the younger generations, don't know how to work, deal with stress, or even be happy anymore. You could reduce the workweek to 8 hours and it would make no difference in the outcome.

 

[Peachy]

Just musing....

Don't recall writing out many checks to the IRS. Usually it's The United States Treasury.

But excellent point.

I'm working on cleaning out and consolidating boxes. I tossed this 1988 Forms and Instruction booklet into the trash today and promptly got it out. Still don't recall what year it changed to US Treasury.