Media clips

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• Bill would end tax benefits for union busting

  The Economic Policy Institute says U.S. employers spend at least $340 million on union busting consultants each year.

  NW Labor Press June 3, 2022
• Why this is a critical moment for American workers to push for wage gains

  Real wage growth across the wage distribution is down, and it is the middle-income workers that are in a worse position than they were pre-pandemic — the lowest-wage workers, by contrast, while struggling with inflation have seen the biggest wage gains. “They are getting hit really hard by this,” said Heidi Shierholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute, which focuses on the needs of low- and middle-income Americans.

  CNBC June 3, 2022
• No retirement plan at work? Your boss may have to sign up for CalSavers soon. Here’s what to know

  Yes, you can set up an IRA without the help of your employer. But too few people do, and as a result, most families have little or no retirement savings, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The situation, said Jeff Schulte of ForUsAll, is “a crisis of epic proportions.”

  Los Angeles Times June 3, 2022
• Illinois losing middle-class jobs as businesses, labor groups remain divided on solutions

  In addition to the ongoing losses of middle-wage jobs, the report identified an uneven recovery from the pandemic. In the first quarter of 2022, the state had a 4.8% unemployment rate overall, according to an analysis from the Economic Policy Institute. The unemployment rate for people of color is significantly higher. 

  State Journal-Register June 3, 2022
• Corporate US making consumers pay for inflation

  These claims are borne out in data. Over the past two quarters, despite growing costs, non-finance US companies recorded their largest profits since 1950. Rather than a consequence of the growing costs of workers and materials, the Economic Policy Institute found over half of the corporate-led increase in prices simply generated bigger profit margins. 

  OMFIF June 3, 2022
• Job openings are still near record highs — and still outnumber applicants

  There are still about 1.9 job openings for every unemployed person. On the one hand, that’s good for workers, per Elise Gould at the Economic Policy Institute.

  Marketplace June 3, 2022
• The majority of American workers say they want more unionization at their own jobs

  “The reason unionization has declined over the past four decades is not that workers don’t want it, it’s that policy relentlessly reversed,” said Heidi Shierholz, a former chief economist for the Department of Labor and current president of the Economic Policy Institute, which advocates for low- and middle-income workers.

  CNBC June 3, 2022
• June 3, 2022
  June 3, 2022
• Why this is a critical moment for American workers to push for wage gains

  Real wage growth across the wage distribution is down, and it is the middle-income workers that are in a worse position than they were pre-pandemic — the lowest-wage workers, by contrast, while struggling with inflation have seen the biggest wage gains. “They are getting hit really hard by this,” said Heidi Shierholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute, which focuses on the needs of low- and middle-income Americans.

  CNBC June 2, 2022
• Dear MacKenzie and Dan: Advice for America’s Biggest Donors

  In recent years, though, this has started to change, with some foundations supporting a dynamic new labor movement of national, state and local nonprofit groups that are working to boost wages and benefits of low-income workers. 

  I’m talking about organizing groups like the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and Jobs With Justice, as well as policy groups like the National Employment Law Project and the Economic Policy Institute. This movement has amply demonstrated its impact in recent years; 30 states and 40 municipalities have raised their minimum wage since 2014. 

  Inside Philanthropy May 27, 2022