Politics & Governance / Law & Institutions / Labor Law
The Shocking Truth: How Sexism Gave Us the Weekend and Minimum Wage
Constituting Workers, Protecting Women
Think the 40-hour work week and minimum wage came from class warfare? Think again. In this deep dive, we uncover the hidden history of American labor rights, based on Julie Novkov's groundbreaking book 'Constituting Workers, Protecting Women'. We reveal how the fight for workers' rights was actually won through a calculated, decades-long legal war over women's bodies. From the 'abstract male' fantasy of the 19th century to the infamous Lochner decision and the secret tunnel of sexism in the Mueller v. Oregon case, we trace how reformers used the idea of fragile motherhood to sneak labor protections past the most conservative judges. But at what cost? We explore the devil's bargain that traded female equality for survival, and ask: are we about to repeat history with the gig economy? This is the story of how a 1937 chambermaid's $216 lawsuit changed everything, and why the legacy of that victory still haunts us today.
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