EN,  I disagree with the "living wage" thought.  It seems to me that it only sets a higher minimum wage that everything adjusts to but I am open to being proven wrong on the issue.  I think the easiest way to stop the reduced hour work week is to enact a new overtime law; if a person works over eight (8) hours in one day, they are entitled to overtime after eight hours at time and a half.  anything over 48 hours in a week, the worker is entitled to double time.  This will have the added benefit of ending the unnecessary and family destroying 12 hour work shift which will bring back three eight (8) weekly shifts as opposed to two, thus increasing employment.  If democrats want to be "populists", here is a ready made issue and solution for them.