Commuting should be considered part of your job.
First off, you would not be commuting anywhere if it wasn't due to having to physically be at your job. It is an expense in time, gas, personal vehicle wear and tear, and some risk (potential car accident) that wouldn't have happened if you worked from home.
Second, the yearly commuting costs should be considered each year and either be built into employee salaried wage increases. For hourly employees they should be considered “on the clock” from the moment they leave their home. Every employer needs your address anyway, so it's easy enough to see the exact time it should take for employees to leave their house and arrive at work. (This avoids any “but what if they abuse it and stop to get coffee or run errands.”)
Third, workers had to fight for the modern work life/balance: 8hrs a day, 40hrs a week, an end to child labor, OSHA and safer workplace regulations, etc.
Now we too must fight for commute compensation.