The New Deal introduced several labor and employment policies to address the high unemployment rates and improve working conditions during the Great Depression. Here are three key initiatives:
National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA): The NIRA aimed to stimulate industrial recovery by promoting fair competition and establishing codes of conduct. These codes set minimum wages, maximum work hours, and regulated working conditions. For example, the NIRA's Section 7(a) granted workers the right to form unions and engage in collective bargaining.
Works Progress Administration (WPA): The WPA was created to provide employment to millions of jobless Americans through the construction of public infrastructure projects. This included building schools, highways, and parks, as well as funding artistic and cultural programs that employed artists, writers, and musicians.
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): The FLSA, passed in 1938, established federal minimum wage, capped at 25 cents per hour, and set maximum work hours at 44 per week. It also introduced child labor regulations, prohibiting the employment of minors in certain hazardous industries.
These policies aimed to not only reduce unemployment but also create a more equitable and regulated labor market.