TR 1070 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Sioux City, Iowa, Fair Labor Standards Act, Rexford Tugwell
5 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Notes for Class March 22:
Review Great Depression
Francis Perkins (know this name)
Roosevelts secretary of Labor
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First woman in presidents cabinet
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Strong supporter of work sharing/shorter hours
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Only political solution to great depression was work sharing because
gospel had failed
Work sharing--shortening hours of labor
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Went from economic gospel to work sharing to economic gospel 2.0
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Big Idea
Shorter hours are inevitable
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From work sharing to government intervenes for the new economic
gospel of consumption
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Roosevelt opposes work sharing until he can come up with a better
idea/strategy to deal with unemployment
The other strategy is government intervenes with the new
economic gospel of consumption 2.0
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To replace jobs with new work
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Stabilizing work market
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We don’t need to shorten hours we can create new business and
government strategies to stabilize job market
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Republicans vs. Democrats solutions to unemployment
Republican solution was work sharing--business volunteerism
Herbert Hoover
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Kellogg's in Battle Creek, Michigan responded to business
volunteerism
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Did make some headwork
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Democrat solution was work sharing--shortening hours of labor
Roosevelt
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They want to regulate, pass laws to shorter hours
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Black Connery
Democrat's bill for 30 hour week
Regulated by federal commerce
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Fines for working overtime
To discourage employers for working people over 30 hours □
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Journalists in country were saying that the bill was inevitable and going to
pass
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Roosevelt initially supports---then changed his mind (not supporting Black
Connery bill)
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Labor threatens a national strike (raising hell)
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Fair Labor Standards Act
Same bill as Black Connery
But modified
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Most important legislation in labor market
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Not as 30 but 40 hours
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Safety net
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Passed in 1938
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If you work overtime you get time and a half
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Also, minimum wage is set
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The idea of leisure now is much more prevalent because technology is doing
jobs
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NIRA
National Industrial Recovery Act
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Most socialist piece of legislation passed in United States
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Regulates how much businesses can charge and produce
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Demonstrates willingness to give labor anything
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Supported by businesses?
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Policies
Public Works
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Stimulus Spending
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Liberal Treasury policy
If unemployment is high, the fed will lower interest rates so people
are more willing to borrow
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If prices begin to rise, the fed will raise interest rate so people will
be less inclined to borrow money and the economy will stabilize
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Military Spending
The reason why this works is onset of second world war
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The idea of keeping a standing army was something George
Washington warned against
Means inevitability of war
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Protection and people supporting it
For the sake of maintaining jobs
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Government Growing
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Harry Hopkins & Rexford Tugwell
From Sioux City, IA
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Brains behind Roosevelt
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Together with Rex Tugwell are architects of new idea-- along with
following policies, government must create full time jobs
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Restructuring the nation's schools and universities
From life & liberal arts to work
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Preparing people to work
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Cultural reason for shorter hours (his opinion)
People changed their minds about work and leisure
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Before the great depression & WWII, americans and working folks had
vision of forgotten american dream--work was primarily important for a
means w and ends
Work to live don’t live to work---changed
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After the great depression & WWII, americans and working folks, work
becomes end in itself--place where more of us look to realize full potential
Leisure is silly it is trivialized
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Figure and ground change
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Myth of prince charming job
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Only know things on assignments that he has talked about in class for exam
3/22 Lecture
Thursday, March 22, 2018
2:00 PM
Document Summary
Only political solution to great depression was work sharing because gospel had failed. Went from economic gospel to work sharing to economic gospel 2. 0. From work sharing to government intervenes for the new economic gospel of consumption. Roosevelt opposes work sharing until he can come up with a better idea/strategy to deal with unemployment. The other strategy is government intervenes with the new economic gospel of consumption 2. 0. We don"t need to shorten hours we can create new business and government strategies to stabilize job market. Kellogg"s in battle creek, michigan responded to business volunteerism. Democrat solution was work sharing--shortening hours of labor. They want to regulate, pass laws to shorter hours. To discourage employers for working people over 30 hours. Journalists in country were saying that the bill was inevitable and going to pass. Roosevelt initially supports---then changed his mind (not supporting black. If you work overtime you get time and a half.
