Court Decisions

Lochner v New York was a US Supreme Court case in 1905 challenged a New York law that regulated maximum working hours for bakers. The case addressed the issue of government intervention in private business contracts. The case was a loss for labor reforms as the court ruled in favor of the businesses.

• The act being challenged was the Bakeshop Act, which limited working hours of bakers to 10 hours a day and created some sanitary regulations.

• The court sided with Lochner, since the act interfered with employers' and employees' freedom to negotiate terms of employment.

Muller v Oregon was a US Supreme Court case in 1908 that upheld a law limiting the working hours of women. The case addressed a similar issue as Lochner v New York, addressing government intervention in empoyer-employee relations.

• The court sided with the law in this scenario, for the reason that women are physically weaker than men and the state was obligated to protect the health of the women.