EPI in the news

• 2019 Minimum Wage Act Would Help Black Workers More Than White

  In January, Democrats introduced the 2019 Raise the Wage Act, a bill that would gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2024, up from the current federal minimum of $7.25, set in 2009. New research from the nonprofit Economic Policy Institute found that the bill could help black workers more than white.

  Newsweek | March 20, 2019
• Minimum wage hike passes House with phased-in raise for tipped workers

  Eight states do not have a lower minimum wage for tipped workers. New Mexico’s rate, $2.13, is the federal minimum, used by 17 states, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.

  Santa Fe New Mexican | March 20, 2019
• A Kansas City Activist Takes The Minimum-Wage Fight To Washington

  “I think there is a long journey ahead, but at the same time we’ve seen a lot of political success,” said Ben Zipperer of the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. “There are a lot of states and local areas that are passing minimum-wage increases.”

  KCUR | March 20, 2019
• Teacher strikes made 2018 the biggest year for worker protest in a generation

  Until the mid-1990s, teachers were paid almost as much as other educated workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute’s analysis of Labor Department data. As of 2017, the most recent year for which data is available, they were paid an average of 18.7 percent less. Their 7.6 percent advantage in benefits does not close the gap.

  Washington Post | March 20, 2019
• Denver teachers are next to take to the picket line

  While the district and DCTA argue over the amount of the raise, both agree that teachers need one. Teacher pay continues to lag behind the pay of other college-educated workers, according to a 2016 report published by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. “In 2015, public school teachers’ weekly wages were 17 percent lower than those of comparable workers—compared with just 1.8 percent lower in 1994,” the report states. Expect to see more strikes, particularly in cities like Denver, where a tech boom has increased the cost of living for all workers.

  The Brookings Institution | March 20, 2019
• Union rushing to end Denver teachers strike

  According to the Denver Post, an agreement over base pay has been concluded, with a miserly increase of $2,545 a year or just over $200 a month, before taxes. A recent report by the Economic Policy Institute says that $92,426 per year is needed to support a family of four in Denver, one of America’s most expensive cities, whereas teachers’ starting pay will only be $45,800.

  World Socialist Web Site | March 20, 2019
• Democrats will win in 2020 by backing ‘America First’ policy

  The Section 232 tariffs were imposed in 2018 to address the worst effects of the excess capacity crisis. American primary aluminum producers have since been able to restart their idled capacity and will have increased production by 67 percent by the end of this quarter. I joined a panel last month to discuss the groundbreaking white paper from the Economic Policy Institute on the Section 232 aluminum tariffs and their effects. Using facts and not speculative economic modes, the study showed that the tariffs have not harmed downstream industries. Moreover, domestic manufacturing continues to expand, with the sector adding more than 260,000 jobs over last year, according to the latest employment report.

  The Hill | March 20, 2019

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