EPI News

JULY 2003

Millions of workers could be denied overtime pay
The Department of Labor's proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) threaten to make more than eight million white-collar employees ineligible for overtime pay. The proposed changes will mean a reduction in pay, along with an increase in the number of hours worked, for millions of employees whose rights to overtime pay are currently protected. The EPI Briefing Paper Eliminating the Right to Overtime Pay, by Vice President Ross Eisenbrey and Co-Research Director Jared Bernstein, outlines the proposed changes and examines a number of occupations that would be negatively affected by the new rule.

EPI economists' op-eds online
The Viewpoints feature on the EPI Web site showcases opinion pieces written by EPI economists that have appeared in publications across the country. In June, EPI President Larry Mishel writes about the shortcomings of the Bush tax cut plan, economists Josh Bivens and Christian Weller examine the effect of the war in Iraq on the value of the dollar, and Co-Research Director Robert Scott looks at how NAFTA hurts workers while lining the pockets of business investors.

Unemployment rate jumps, while payrolls decline
The unemployment rate increased to 6.4% in June, according to the most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is not only the highest unemployment rate since the beginning of the recession in March 2001, but also the highest unemployment rate since April 1994. For more information about this jobless recovery, see EPI's July Jobs Picture online.

The release of EPI Briefing Paper Eliminating the Right to Overtime Pay put the Bush Administration in the position of defending its plan to eliminate overtime protection for more than eight million workers. The release put EPI in the headlines of over 50 daily papers, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and USA Today. EPI also received coverage in major broadcast outlets, including ABC World News, CNN, National Public Radio, and many local television and radio news and talk shows.

The sharp jump in unemployment just after the Bush "jobs and growth" tax cut was implemented caused news reporters to pay particular attention to the EPI Jobs Picture, a monthly analysis of the unemployment rate. EPI's analysis was picked up by the Associated Press wire service and highlighted in Business Week. EPI President Lawrence Mishel's critique of the Bush fiscal plan was quoted in a feature in the New York Times.

In June, EPI Distinguished Fellow Jeff Faux moderated a popular panel titled "Shrubbed: The Radical Project of George Bush," at the Take Back America Conference, hosted by the Campaign for America's Future.

EPI President Lawrence Mishel presented his idea of grading Bush's "Jobs and Growth Plan" to the Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing on June 9th. EPI will be watching the economy to see if Bush's tax plan lives up to its promise to produce 5.5 million new jobs by November 2004, an average of 344,000 a month.

Last month EPI economist Max Sawicky addressed both the Conference of the National Academy of Public Administration and the Communications Workers of America in separate speeches on fiscal policy.

Singer/songwriter John McCutcheon visits EPI
Five-time Grammy nominee John McCutcheon was featured at a recent EPI "brown bag" gathering. McCutcheon, who is a labor and peace activist— as well as an accomplished singer, musician, and songwriter—spoke about the relationship between culture and successful organizing, peppering his talk with music and song.

The mission of the Economic Policy Institute is to provide high-quality research
and education in order to promote a prosperous, fair, and sustainable economy.
The Institute stresses real world analysis and a concern for the living standards
of working people, and it makes its findings accessible to the general public,
the media, and policy makers.

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