On Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, another company’s trial run of the four-day workweek was reported to be successful. Advanced RV, a motorhome manufacturer, participated in a six-month trial led by 4-Day Week Global. The idea of a four-day workweek is not new but has gained more traction since the pandemic, which changed the way people view how work is structured. The organization, 4 Day Week Global, has led 33 companies in trials thus far. The concept is simple; work hours are reduced while pay remains unchanged. Of those 33 companies, 27 participated in a final survey about the study, with all 27 participants reporting that they were not planning to discontinue. It is important not to forget that because businesses require their workers to run, employees have and should be able to exercise control over their work week, especially if productivity isn’t taking a hit.
Given the four-day week’s success thus far, it would seem to be the next big task on various unions’ agenda. However, any whisperings of efforts have, for the most part, stagnated. Much of the rhetoric around the four-day week frames the choice as something that rests on employers. A recent Financial Post headline reads: “Your boss may not be able to resist the 4-day workweek for much longer.” While evidence may be adding up in favor of a four-day work week, there still isn’t incentive or pressure for employers to be proactive. Workers would need to organize and use their collective power to make this plan a reality.
The labor movement in America dates back to the late 1800s, with the push for more leisure time being a consistent demand. In the 1880s, most workers labored 60-hour weeks. By 1920, the average worker had a 48-hour week. Between this time and 1950, workers switched from six days to five days a week, with the average worker totaling a 40-hour week. Labor unions were key in implementing more reasonable work hours. Aside from more leisure time, there are many ways that unions have played a large part in creating the improved work environment of today. Employer-based healthcare and the end of child labor represent workplace progress thanks to unions.
This raises the question of what is holding up the implementation of a four-day workweek. In 1983, 20.1% of wage-salary workers were in unions. Now, only 10.1% are in unions. While globalization and new technologies are often cited for lower numbers, other Western countries have not seen the same dip in US involvement. Many economists point to many forces in the US, such as right-to-work laws, less enforcement of labor laws and great efforts on the end of corporations to prevent unionization. Companies spend $433 million annually on union avoidance law firms. Whatever the reasons may be, the fact remains that Americans are losing their class consciousness.
Time is required to assess how useful old forms of worker organization can be in the modern age. However, no newer, more effective organization can come to be if the idea of fighting for a better quality of life is not even on the public’s mind.
