West Coast Hotel Co. V. Parrish Case

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In 1932, the State of Washington legislated a new law that set minimum wages for women. The goal of this law was to establish minimum wages for women and children in order to help combat problems related to women’s health. Elis Parrish who was a maid at a hotel had claimed that the hotel had not paid her the law’s minimum wage. West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish was a Supreme Court case that was judged in 1937. The Supreme Court was trying to make a decision on the legitimacy of the minimum wage legislation that was enacted by the State of Washington. This legislation by the State of Washington overturned an earlier decision on the court case of Adkins v. Children's Hospital that was judged in 1923. This is an important Supreme Court case because it is believed to have ended the Lochner era which was a period that the Supreme Court tended to dismiss cases related to economic regulations that were adopted by State courts. The case started when Elsie Parrish who was a chambermaid at the Cascadian Hotel in Wenatchee, Washington which was owned by the West Coast Hotel Company sued the hotel along with her husband. The lawsuit had claimed that the amount Elsie Parrish was paid was lower than the minimum wage of $14.50 per week that was established by the Industrial Welfare Committee and Supervisor of Women in Industry. The Supreme Court judges …show more content…

Parrish. This is because there should be a law that protects the employees against employers. The employers and companies tend to be more powerful by having the ability to hire strong lawyers that would win court cases that are filed by regular employees. The minimum wage that is appointed by a state government makes sure that an employee’s rights are reserved and one is paid enough to be able to support their family. Also, the goals of the fourteenth amendment to the constitution which are the rights to life, liberty, and property should be

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