Another problem for Democrats is geography: Progressive activists form a consistent critical mass only in deep-blue cities or states — which limits their ability to win over moderate voters in other parts of the country. Universities and progressive think tanks like the Roosevelt Institute and Economic Policy Institute abound with innovative ideas about how to narrow the income gap, expand and lower the cost of health care, craft a Green New Deal, curb the power of Amazon and its corporate ilk. But their plans lie fallow without a well-organized constituency of working-class Americans that can elect enough politicians to turn them into law.
New York Times
February 25, 2022
She is right about the significance of the bill. Although some states have moved to curb mandatory arbitration, most have not. A number of progressive groups advocating for the ban last year wrote a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). “According to the Economic Policy Institute, over 60 million workers, more than half of non-union, private-sector employees, have surrendered their right to go to court if harmed by their employer,” the letter stated. “It allows corporate employers to quash serious claims of systemic misconduct.”
Washington Post
February 18, 2022
State of play: More than half of nonunion, private sector employees — or about 60 million workers — were subject to mandatory arbitration as of a 2018 report from the progressive Economic Policy Institute.
Axios
February 18, 2022
US businesses have fought hard against union drives in recent years. A 2019 report by the Economic Policy Institute found that 41.5% of employers had violated federal labor law in union election campaigns and employers spend about $340m annually on union avoidance, issues that have driven campaigns for federal labor law reforms to expand workers’ rights and steepen penalties for employers violating labor laws.
The Guardian
February 18, 2022
For the two weeks ending Jan. 10, working-age Americans making less than $25,000 a year were 3.5 times as likely to say they’d missed a whole week of work primarily because they got sick with COVID-19 or had to care for someone else with symptoms, according to an analysis published by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.
MarketWatch
February 18, 2022
According to the Economic Policy Institute, adjusting for costs of living, a full-time minimum wage worker today earns 18% less annually than workers earned at the time of the last increase in 2009, and 46% less than workers did in 1968 when accounting for inflation.
FOX 4 KC
February 18, 2022
Under the National Labor Relations Act, it is illegal for employers to prevent, interfere with, or retaliate against workers who organize to form unions. According to the Economic Policy Institute, unionized workers covered by a collective bargaining agreement earn 10.2 percent more than non-unionized workers in the same sectors.
VICE
February 18, 2022
Sanders was referencing the massive gains in net worths and profits that both groups have seen throughout the pandemic. In 2021 alone, American billionaires added $1 trillion to their wealth, according to an analysis from the left-leaning Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF). In 2020, CEOs got paid 351 times what typical workers made, according to research from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.
Business Insider
February 18, 2022
In theory, employees have the right to organize, Lafer said. In practice, employers have a lot of power to prevent that from happening. They also have a lot of capital. According to the Economic Policy Institute, employers spend approximately $340 million annually on union busting.
Street Roots
February 18, 2022
According to the Economic Policy Institute, 16 states use the federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13, 26 use a tipped minimum wage above the federal limit, but below its state minimum wage, and eight have eliminated the tipped minimum wage in some form.
FSR Magazine
February 18, 2022