NRA= National Recovery Act: In response to widespread strikes, the labor riots and several massacres of workers demanding fair treatment, the NRA was the 1933 (Great Depression) New Deal “socialist” program that gave us our 5 day work week, overtime pay, workplace safety standards, at least minimum wages, and importantly established the Social Security fund that every worker pays into and is covered by. Prior to this there was little to stop a boss from forcing folks to work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, and pay a pittance when they felt like it and toss you out if you got hurt. Everyone needed a job during the depression, so as an employee you were stuck, hoping your boss would do the right thing. Employees had no power unless the shop tried to unionize. It also set the stage for fair prices, breaking the hold of the price gougers who often charged different prices for different customers for basics like bread and milk, and broke up monopoly strangleholds on essential services, opening up government contracts to more competition.
prairiedogdance Premium Member almost 3 years ago
NRA= National Recovery Act: In response to widespread strikes, the labor riots and several massacres of workers demanding fair treatment, the NRA was the 1933 (Great Depression) New Deal “socialist” program that gave us our 5 day work week, overtime pay, workplace safety standards, at least minimum wages, and importantly established the Social Security fund that every worker pays into and is covered by. Prior to this there was little to stop a boss from forcing folks to work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, and pay a pittance when they felt like it and toss you out if you got hurt. Everyone needed a job during the depression, so as an employee you were stuck, hoping your boss would do the right thing. Employees had no power unless the shop tried to unionize. It also set the stage for fair prices, breaking the hold of the price gougers who often charged different prices for different customers for basics like bread and milk, and broke up monopoly strangleholds on essential services, opening up government contracts to more competition.