The West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish case was a significant decision in US labor law as it upheld the constitutionality of state minimum wage legislation. The case overturned an earlier ruling in Adkins v. Children's Hospital, which had invalidated similar legislation under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. The Supreme Court's decision in West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish marked the end of the Lochner era, a period in which the Court tended to strike down legislation aimed at regulating business.
The case involved Elsie Parrish, a female employee of the West Coast Hotel Company who sued her employer under a Washington state law regulating the minimum wage for female employees. The employer argued that the law infringed upon its right to freely contract, but the Supreme Court concluded that state regulation was permissible when its purpose was to promote the general welfare. The Court held that the state had a legitimate interest in ensuring that women were not exploited and that minimum wage laws were a reasonable means of achieving this goal.
The significance of the West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish case lies in its impact on labor law and the role of the state in regulating the workplace. The decision established that the government has the power to regulate wages and working conditions in order to protect workers from exploitation and ensure fair treatment. This ruling paved the way for the passage of other labor laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, which established a federal minimum wage and overtime pay requirements. The case also marked a shift in the Supreme Court's approach to economic regulation, signaling a greater willingness to defer to the judgment of elected officials in matters of public policy.