[guywithahat]

This is a key point people forget. Unions did not invent the 5-day workweek or healthcare, they stole the idea from private non-union jobs. If you think unions are going to provide some unparalleled advancement in ease of living you're going to be disappointed

[__d]

Citation needed

[normalaccess]

Ford came up with our current work week and doubled the pay to improve the working conditions in his factories to attract and keep better workers.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-1/ford-facto...

[guywithahat]

I mean I'm not sure if linking is necessary but Henry Ford is widely credited for inventing the 5-day work week (which he reduced from 6 days without reducing pay).

Health insurance attached to your job is more complex, as the first major instances were in Germany in the 1800's, however generally it was a result of wage controls during WWII. Private companies weren't able to compete on wages, so they started adding benefits.

Unions do not progress employee benefits, they're hostile political organizations inside companies, and once you understand that everything else makes sense. If unions attracted top talent than companies who wanted top talent would enact them; and if they improved wages then the best wages would be union jobs. In private industry, this is essentially never the case.

[DonnyV]

My dude you need to read some history.

Some things that Unions have gotten us. - 40-Hour Work Week & Overtime Pay - Child Labor Laws - Workplace Safety Standards - Employer-Provided Benefits - Minimum Wage - Civil Rights & Anti-Discrimination - Job Security & “Just Cause” Termination - etc, etc etc

[normalaccess]

Ford is responsible for the work week.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-1/ford-facto...

[dttze]

Who cares who "invented" it. The idea is easy. Getting the capitalists to actually do it was the hard part that unions accomplished.