Kuttner has been fighting for the New Deal, and against its ferocious enemies, for his entire life. He started as one of journalist I.F. Stone’s assistants, served as a congressional investigator, was general manager of Pacifica’s WBAI Radio in New York City, and has been a regular newspaper columnist. Perhaps most significantly, he’s co-founded two enduring institutions: the Economic Policy Institute, a progressive think tank, and The American Prospect, one of the zestiest liberal publications in the U.S.
The Intercept
June 17, 2022
An analysis conducted by the Economic Policy Institute found local government workers receive, on average, 14.1% less weekly pay compared with similar private sector workers, and local government workers in states with no collective bargaining rights averaging 22.9% lower pay. Those local government workers with weak collective bargaining rights average a 16.6% pay gap, compared with just 10.5% gap for workers in states with strong collective bargaining rights.
Guardian
June 17, 2022
Austin is increasingly inaccessible for individuals and families including the invaluable employees who keep the city running. The Economic Policy Institute Family Budget Calculator shows that a family of four in Austin needs $7,170 dollars to cover their monthly costs or approximately $42 per hour between two working adults. A single adult in Austin must earn $3,497 per month or $21 per hour to cover basic household expenses.
Austin American-Statesman
June 17, 2022
In an industry where employers typically provide nothing more than an hourly wage, Starbucks, once viewed as a progressive company, was widely praised for offering a comprehensive benefit to part-time employees since 1988 (via Starbucks). In comparison, the Economic Policy Institute writes that only 14.4% of restaurant workers receive health insurance.
Tasting Table
June 17, 2022
Outside allies were more blunt. The liberal Economic Policy Institute in Washington wrote on Twitter that the report was “pretty ugly — and shows the pain workers and their families are experiencing.”
New York Times
June 17, 2022
That’s according to a new report published Monday by the Economic Policy Institute, the Harvard Labor and Worklife Program and Local Progress
Minnesota Reformer
June 17, 2022
American families spend more on child care than their counterparts in many other parts of the world. And the cost in Massachusetts is the highest among the 50 states, with infant care costing, on average, over $20,000 a year, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute. The average price for 4-year-olds is only slightly lower, at $15,000 a year.
WBUR
June 17, 2022
There’s almost always a power imbalance when it comes to negotiating with an employer, said Valerie Wilson at the Economic Policy Institute. And that imbalance is compounded for workers of color.
Marketplace
June 17, 2022
“A more accurate description of what we’re now seeing might be called ‘profit-price inflation’ — prices driven upward by corporations seeking increased profits,” Reich argued, pointing to a recent analysis by the Economic Policy Institute showing that record-shattering corporate profits have been contributing disproportionately to inflation.
Common Dreams
June 17, 2022
Due to inflation, the federal minimum wage in 2021 was worth 21% less than 12 years prior, and worth 34% less than in 1968, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Los Angeles Times (HS Insider)
June 17, 2022