Unlikely Labor Day Hero: President Martin Van Buren!

While researching the origins of our current laws on minimum wage and overtime pay, I uncovered this gem: The earliest American law that regulated hours for workers was issued on March 31, 1840 by (drum roll) President Martin Van Buren, whose proclamation extended to all projects funded by the U.S. government. His directive sought to remove “much inconvenience and dissatisfaction” by “adopting a uniform course” that directed “all such persons, whether laborers or mechanics, be required to work prescribed by the ten hour system.” Happy Labor Day, Martin! Source: FEDERAL LIMITATION OF HOURS OF LABOR ON PUBLIC WORKS, Monthly Review of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Vol. 3, No. 4 (OCTOBER, 1916), pp. 116-133, Published by: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41823167.