Political Philosophy Fair Labor Standards in the United States: A Conversation With Constitutional Law Expert John Fliter
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Dec 20, 2025 John Fliter, a constitutional law scholar and author, dives into the history of labor rights in the U.S. His insights reveal the long journey for fair labor standards, including the pivotal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). He touches on significant topics, such as child labor reforms, the evolution of minimum wage, and critical Supreme Court rulings that shaped labor laws. Fliter also highlights current shortcomings of the FLSA and the ongoing challenges of worker classification. This conversation promises to enlighten anyone interested in the intersection of law and labor rights.
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Three Movements Built The FLSA
- The Fair Labor Standards Act grew from three long movements: maximum hours, minimum wage, and child labor reform.
- These struggles spanned a century and culminated in the 1938 federal law that standardized hours and wages.
Church Opposition To The Child Labor Amendment
- The Catholic Church hierarchy opposed the Child Labor Amendment fearing federal interference in parochial schools and parental authority.
- Local bishops helped derail state ratifications despite the Church's social teaching in favor of living wages.
What The FLSA Established
- The FLSA introduced a phased 44-to-40 hour week, overtime at time-and-a-half, a federal minimum wage, and federal child-labor authority.
- It targeted ununionized, low-wage workers who lacked collective bargaining protections.